Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) show convened this week in Chicago, and we're bringing you all the news on heart imaging in our newly redesigned Cardiac Imaging Digital Community.
First up is an article on one of the hottest topics in medical imaging, the cost-effectiveness of coronary CT angiography (CTA) studies. At issue is whether CTA scans will save money and improve patient care if used as a first-line imaging modality in either symptomatic or asymptomatic patients.
In a pair of studies presented at the show, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, discussed their experience in replacing standard workup protocols for heart patients with cardiac CT. In one study, they found that CT was useful in detecting coronary artery disease in a group of nearly 500 firefighters.
In another study, coronary CTA cut costs when it was introduced into a 17-member office-based cardiology practice. As the number of CTA scans went up, the number of nuclear perfusion and treadmill tests went down, according to the presenters. Learn more about both studies by clicking here.
Another U.S. group also confirmed that CTA is less expensive than SPECT myocardial perfusion in patients without a prior diagnosis of coronary artery disease, again pointing to the suitability of CT as a first-line imaging modality. That story is available by clicking here.
Finally, researchers said that a recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration black box warning on ultrasound contrast may be overblown. They examined the safety of the agents in more than 24,000 patients and found no difference in outcomes between those who received contrast and those who didn't. Click here for that story.
Get these stories and more, and check out the new look of the Cardiac Imaging Digital Community, by going to cardiac.auntminnie.com.
