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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
Earlier disease detection will save healthcare services
Like obesity it is harder to treat than high BP or cholesterol. Now Spanish cardiologists are urging a new approach to patients who smoke.
Innovative materials and technologies for medical devices are on show by GE Plastics.
EU multidisciplinary lung research project aims to cure pulmonary hypertension.
'Positive action is needed to more and more raise awareness of gender differences and cardiac disease - even among cardiologists.'
PET/CT combines PET's ability to precisely measure regional myocardial blood flow with the capability of multislice CT imaging.
The First European Institute of Molecular Imaging (EIMI) was foundet at the Westphalian Wilhelms-University in Muenster, Germany.
The objective of the CNIC is to lead cardiovascular research in Spain and establish itself as a leading international centre.
The UK spends more of its healthcare budget on cardiovascular disease than any other country in the EU.
