Clinical

This channel newsfeed includes clinical content on treating patients or the clinical implications in a variety of cardiac subspecialties and disease states. The channel includes news on cardiac surgery, interventional cardiologyheart failure, electrophysiologyhypertension, structural heart disease, use of pharmaceuticals, and COVID-19.   

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Perspective on Pradaxa

Much of the information published this week in BMJ about the oral anticoagulant dabigatran has appeared piecemeal throughout the years. But putting individual events into a narrative paints a more comprehensive picture.

Spectranetics announces FDA clearance of peripheral laser atherectomy devices for in-stent restenosis

The Spectranetics Corporation today announced receipt of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance of their peripheral atherectomy products, Turbo-Tandem(R) and Turbo Elite(R), for the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR). The clearance prompts a new standard of care in ISR treatment with improved clinical outcomes. 

FDA approves Rebel bare-metal stent

The FDA approved Boston Scientific’s Rebel stent system for treating patients with coronary artery disease. The bare-metal stent consists of a platinum chromium alloy and uses the same design as the company’s Promus Premier stent.

Atherectomy-filter combo safe, effective for PAD

A combination of directional atherectomy and embolitic protection filter to treat calcification in peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients showed a 97.2 percent success rate, according to a study published Aug. 1 in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions.

BIOTRONIK announces completion of enrollment in SFA arm of the BIOFLEX-I study

BIOTRONIK, a leading manufacturer of cardiovascular medical devices, today announced the completion of patient enrollment in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) arm of its BIOFLEX-I clinical trial, an FDA-approved investigative device exemption (IDE) trial evaluating the use of self-expanding nitinol stents in treating peripheral artery disease. A total of 296 patients were successfully implanted with the Astron Pulsar and Pulsar-18 stents at 34 centers in the US, Canada and Europe. 

Anticoagulants hold edge over catheter approach for DVT

Researchers are asking if physicians still are on a learning curve when it comes to catheter-directed thrombolysis for proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) patients after noting no improvements over anticoagulant therapy in a study published July 21 in JAMA: Internal Medicine.

Score predicts patients at risk of ICD testing glitch

Researchers developed and validated a simple risk model that identifies implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICDs) patients at risk of an inadequate defibrillation safety margin during defibrillation testing. By predicting who is at risk, physicians may be able to avoid related complications and better manage patients.

Heart-breaking benders: Liquor, wine, binge drinking may raise risk of AF

Jack, Jim and Jose may be doing more than hurting heads; they may be breaking hearts. According to a study published July 22 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, what people drink is as important as how much and how often they drink in developing atrial fibrillation (AF).

Around the web

Several key trends were evident at the Radiological Society of North America 2024 meeting, including new CT and MR technology and evolving adoption of artificial intelligence.

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.