News • Research
Seeking radiological routes to cure cardiac diseases
Radiotherapy is being proposed to treat heart diseases, specifically for hypertension and atrial fibrillation (AF).
Cardiology
Listen to your heart 24 hours a day
The ‘Fire of Life’ developed by Schiller is an intuitive visual presentation of frequency-domain heart rate variability (HRV) that makes the assessment of 24-hour results fast and simple.
To pulse or not to pulse
Whether mechanical, temporary cardiac assist systems should pulsate in the same way as a biological heart is a discussion topic, which raises the pulse rates amongst all those involved within the industry and in hospitals.
3D targeting of the heart
The heart is a structure in three dimensions and today we see it in three dimensions,’ Jose Luis Zamorano Gomez MD declared with satisfaction.
News • Organ Transplantion
Three artificial hearts to be implanted
French authorities have given the green light for continuing the clinical trial for the first fully implantable mechanical heart after a four-month review of the device and the causes of death of the first patient to receive the prosthesis
Bringing surgical quality to TAVR valves
A cardiac surgeon, Wolfgang Goetz MD once stitched together custom aortic valves in the operating room. Today he is CEO of Transcatheter Technologies in Regensburg.
Cardiac resynchronisation
This summer the world’s first implantations of Biotronik’s new ICD and CRT-D series (implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillators) took place at the Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
New imaging for ischaemic heart disease
A session at the forthcoming British Cardiovascular Society annual conference (2-4 June, in Manchester) will hear about the latest imaging techniques for acquired heart disease, with PET technology playing a key role in those advances.
News • Cardiology
Previewing the impact of new technology
As well as this year’s programme being the biggest yet, with 76 plenary sessions, there are also sponsored symposia from Janssen and CamNutra. Additionally, the USA’s Mayo Clinic will provide the Cardiology Review Course, with representatives from Rochester, Minnesota, delivering some sessions.
News • Cardiology
Transcatheter aortic valve implantations (TAVI)
A hybrid operating theatre is considered ideal for TAVI because cardiologists and cardiac surgeons can work hand in hand. Here, in the hybrid theatre at Kerckhoff Heart Centre, Bad Nauheim, a transcatheter aortic valve implant with transfemoral access is being performed. The clean air room features cardiac cath lab equipment and an X-ray system.
First pacemaker with event-triggered IEGM transmissions
Biotronik, a leading manufacturer of cardiovascular medical technology, announced CE approval for its new Eluna pacemaker series. The new generation of pacemakers includes single and dual-chamber as well as cardiac resynchronization (CRT-P) devices.
Researchers Find Protein 'Switch' Central to Heart Cell Division
In a study that began in a pair of infant siblings with a rare heart defect, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a key molecular switch that regulates heart cell division and normally turns the process off around the time of birth. Their research, they report, could advance efforts to turn the process back on and regenerate heart tissue damaged by heart attacks or disease.
Should CTA become a screening procedure?
With low tube voltage, reduced radiation and contrast agent dose, the system delivers sufficient and meaningful data
Promising substitutes for human hearts
Fully implantable mechanical hearts bring hope to 121,000 heart failure patients who will never receive a heart transplant
Small size in early pregnancy linked to poor heart health later in life
Poor growth in the first three months of pregnancy is associated with a range of cardiovascular risk factors in childhood, finds a study published on bmj.com.
News • Research
Deaths higher for heart attack patients at night and weekends
Off-hour presentation and outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction: systematic review and meta-analysis
Characterising plaques with millimetre-waves
The Plaque-CharM project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is to develop novel sensor technology that can characterise arterial tissue in the smallest space – the tip of a catheter.
Esaote showcases new Prevention Suite at EuroEcho 2013
Prevention Suite’s four combined imaging technologies enables practical pre-clinical assessment of cardiovascular disease risk .
Efficient and compact mechanical Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Performing manual chest compressions well for an extended period of time is almost impossible.
Fusing images from different sources
Okan Ekinci, Global Director of Cardiology at Siemens Healthcare, is convinced that, ultimately, ultrasound will remain the ‘entry level’ imaging procedure for patients. European Hospital met up with him at this year’s ESC congress to hear his thoughts on the potential of ultrasound – and particularly its fusion with other imaging modalities.
Preventing sporting deaths
Football authorities across the world have been urged to adopt a universal standard of emergency care to help cut the potential for serious injury or death during matches.
Smart Fusion of modalities enhances clinical output
Adding high quality, dynamic ultrasound for hybrid imaging enables clinicians to improve detection of a range of lesions or to intervene better for improved clinical outcomes. ‘We can no longer be fascinated with pictures; what we need is proof of the clinical benefit from tools and techniques,’ said Professor Jose Zamorano MD, Director of Cardiology at Ramón y Cajal University Hospital in…
Cardiology on the road
Part of the University Hospital Centre at Charleroi, the cardiology service provides consultations for a cluster of other hospitals, polyclinics and private physicians, which means that Dr Kathleen Retailleau takes to the road several days of each week to see patients throughout the region.
The ESPOIR Study
Professor Axel Haverich and team at the Clinic for Cardiothoracic, Transplant and Vascular Surgery in Hanover Medical School (MHH) have been carrying out research into decellularised heart valves for over 15 years. They trialled a procedure – initially in the laboratory and in animal experiments – which does not cause tissue rejection, is hoped to last a lifetime and, in the case of children,…
Infarction size and transmurality
A cardiac catheter is insufficient to evaluate the effects of a myocardial infarction. The size of the infarction and post-event cardiac muscle activity are crucial predictive parameters that determine therapy decisions
