Ultrasound contrast agents (USCA) or echo enhancers consist of minute gas containing microbubbles that have a high reflectivity when exposed to an ultrasound field. The history of USCA started in the mid of the 1960s. The cardiologist Joyner performed echo cardiography during the injection of saline solution into the aortic root via a catheter. During the injection he observed bright signals on…
What is an “open foramen ovale”? The open foramen ovale medical abbreviation PFO for “patent foramen ovale”) is a usually small, only a few millimeter thick, membrane-covered slit in the septum between the atria of the heart. It is a remnant from human embryonic development that usually closes during the newborn period; however, in 10-25% of newborns a small opening remains that generally…
It has long been known that hypoxia at high altitudes leads to an increase of pulmonaryarterial pressure. For sensitive persons, one crucial factor for the development of HAPE is the overwhelming rise in pressure in the pulmonary circulation. Using right heart catheterization average pulmonary-arterial pressures of 60 mmHg were encountered in earlier studies of HAPE patients. A pressure increase…
A wearable cardiac telemedicine system based on Bluetooth technology could text the local hospital if a patient is about to have a heart attack, according to a publication of two Indian researchers of the Sathyabama University in Tamil Nadu, who developed the system.
The following two articles look at the advantages of a new ultrasound technique in prenatal diagnostics: Advanced Dynamic Flow (ADF). While the authors use ADF for different purposes - K. S. Heling applies ADF for general vascular imaging and R. Schmitz focuses on fetal liver tumours and a fetal aneurysm in the vein of Galen - they both arrive at remarkably similar conclusions. But read for…
Spiral computed tomography first allowed the seamless acquisition of entire volumina without first separating them into individual slices. With the newest generation of MSCT devices having the 16-slice technology, short gantry rotation time of < 0.5 seconds, and a high performance processor, it is now possible to acquire large amounts of data in a short period of time with high spatial and…
Besides sophisticated imaging technologies, biomarkers are the key to molecular medicine. Therefore, the development of new and more specific biomarkers is the primary aim of researchers around the world and - since this June - it is also the aim of the new founded European Institute of Molecular Imaging, a cooperation project of the University Münster, Germany and Siemens Medical Solutions.…
In recent years, Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) has become increasingly important in the treatment of patients with impaired left ventricular contraction. Since this patient group is growing constantly experts estimate that by 2010 about 10 million people in Europe will be suffering from heart failure. Especially the “baby-boomers”, born just after World War II and in 2010 about…
Pediatric cardiovascular disorders are extremely complex in nature and present with a widely variable array of abnormal anatomy. Imaging these disorders presents a unique set of challenges for the cardiovascular team. Complex anatomical variations require detailed volumetric image interpretation with high spatial and temporal resolution. In addition, the patients are invariably young. They may…
Among invasive cardiac catheterization diagnostic methods selective coronary angiography is the gold standard for directly visualizing the coronary system. It allows a definitive and precise diagnosis of coronary heart disease and thus serves as the rational basis for further revascularization procedures.
In the last 25 years, fetal echocardiography has become established as an integral component of prenatal medicine. Structural heart defects are found in approx. 0.8% of all foetuses. They are consequently comparatively frequent and head the list of isolated fetal organ malformations. Routine screening of the four-chamber view and the outflow tract allows the experienced investigator to detect…
Dyssynchrony Imaging (DI), Toshiba's novel Doppler technology, is used as a quantitative clinical tool for rapid assessment of dyssynchrony in patients with suspected myomechanical dysfunction. From the parasternal short axis view, DI is applied by Toshiba's exclusive “angle-correction” technology and in apical views by standard Doppler imaging. Thus, DI permits evaluation of virtually all…
Diagnostic imaging is of particular value in investigating ischaemic cerebrovascular accidents since, due to the rapid progression of cell destruction in the region of the cerebral infarction, the radiologist is faced with urgent questions regarding a possible procedure. These questions may be answered particularly well using computed tomography (CT). The following article provides an overview…
The goal of CORE64 is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography angiography (CTA) compared to coronary angiography (CAG) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).
Ongoing refinement of modern spiral multi-slice CT scanners offers the opportunity for very high temporal and spatial resolution thin-slice data set acquisition. The econstruction techniques offered (multisegment reconstruction) result in improved temporal resolution while simultaneously reducing the effective exposure time to 40-200 ms and thus also reducing motion artefacts. The SURECardio…
`The term fast track surgery refers to a combination of findings from current, high quality studies of anaesthetics, surgery and perioperative care for a certain medical indication,´ explained Professor Schwenk.
By Henning von Eicke of Roche Diagnostics GmbH
France - The country's health ministry is facing growing calls for a full public inquiry after allegations that surgeons have been demanding huge cash payments from patients keen to jump hospital waiting lists, and for charging exorbitant fees for "private" operations.
Basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), particularly when performed immediately by those witnessing a cardiac or respiratory arrest, definitively saves lives - especially in witnessed cases of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and childhood drowning events. Nevertheless, the frequency of bystander CPR still remains mostly low. In turn, survival chances for potentially salvageable patients remain…
The first, pan-European guidelines to be published on the treatment of valvular heart disease (VHD), diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have made a series of new recommendations that experts hope will contribute to improving the outcome for patients.
Endovascular brachytherapy has been successfully modified by scientists at Isotopen Technologie München AG (ITM), solving problems of radiation exposure to Rhenium-188. The researchers are now producing Rhenium-188 with previously unknown high specific activity in a new type of generator, Isotopen Technologie reports.
Almost one in three people over 55 will develop congestive heart failure, research has revealed. The Rotterdam Study, a prospective population-based study of cardiovascular and other diseases in the elderly, monitored 7,983 inhabitants of Ommoord, a Rotterdam suburb (source: Eur Heart J 2004: 25, 1614-19).
The Fred easyport, the only pocket defibrillator in the world, which Schiller brought onto the market three years ago, was a huge success so far. From next year on, the device will also supply a manual shock option. It is so small (133 x 126 x 50mm) and light (490 g including the battery) that for many doctors it is already standard equipment in their emergency bag.The fact that this ‘life…
Emergency care doctors can now use just one stethoscope to tend either paediatric or adult patients.
Less bleeding complications due to safe citrate anticoagulation.