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 cardiology, heart failure, electrophysiology, hypertension, structural heart disease, use of pharmaceuticals, and COVID-19.

Philips and Medtronic extend 30 year patient monitoring partnership
The two companies will continue combining components to make patient monitoring systems, under the new terms of the expanded deal that includes a "pledge program" to improve quality.
FDA announces recall of Baxter infusion pumps with mismatched software
Spectrum V8 and V6 infusion pumps may have accidentally had their software switched, which could result in underinfusion or a fluid overload. While no injuries have been reported, for safety the affected pumps need to be removed from where they are used and sold.
Specialized imaging technique offers pain-free, effective alternative to mammograms
The photoacoustic CT, or PACT, imaging technique is said to perform comparably to mammography for cancer detection, but without the discomfort of standard mammograms.
Medtronic’s new ECMO system receives a key approval
According to Medtronic, its VitalFlow ECMO system was designed and developed with the user experience in mind.
Algorithm accurately predicts dementia risk using a single MRI scan
The tool also can be used to predict a person's brain age and risk for a myriad of other chronic conditions as well.

Clopidogrel loading offers little added benefit for stenosis patients pre-TAVI

P2Y12 inhibitor initiation with clopidogrel using a loading dose (LD) is no more effective in reducing ischemic events or adverse outcomes in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) patients than initiating the therapy without a loading dose, according to research published in the American Journal of Cardiology Feb. 10.

Telerehab as effective as clinical therapy for restoring functionality after stroke

Home-based telerehabilitation is just as effective as traditional rehab for restoring arm function in stroke survivors, according to late-breaking science presented at this year’s American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference in Honolulu.

Under-table shields reduce radiation to operators during PCI, angiography

Placing homemade shields under the angiographic table during percutaneous coronary procedures cut operators’ exposure to radiation at the pelvic level by a median of 72 percent, according to a single-center study in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.

His-optimized CRT improves electrical resynchronization in advanced HF patients

His-optimized cardiac resynchronization therapy successfully narrowed QRS duration, improved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction and heightened functionality in 27 patients with advanced heart failure (HF), according to a study published in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology.

Now that it’s guideline-endorsed, how should clinicians use CAC testing?

“Rather than bringing in many additional statin candidates, this testing should serve as a decision aid to ‘de-risk’ certain patients and distinguish those who may benefit from preventive pharmacologic therapies," Johns Hopkins researchers wrote in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Andexanet holds up as antidote for factor Xa inhibitors

Andexanet alfa (Andexxa), the only FDA-approved reversal agent for factor Xa inhibitors, was successful in mitigating bleeding events associated with that class of anticoagulants, researchers reported Feb. 7 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Oral antibiotics on par with IV delivery for endocarditis

A Danish study of 400 patients with infective endocarditis has concluded oral delivery of antibiotics to treat the disease yields similar safety and efficiency as administering the drugs intravenously.

Almost 25% of HFrEF patients prescribed drugs that could worsen their condition

Nearly a quarter of adults living with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are prescribed at least one pharmaceutical that could exacerbate their condition, according to a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology Feb. 10.

Clinical

Philips and Medtronic extend 30 year patient monitoring partnership

FDA announces recall of Baxter infusion pumps with mismatched software

Specialized imaging technique offers pain-free, effective alternative to mammograms

Medtronic’s new ECMO system receives a key approval

Algorithm accurately predicts dementia risk using a single MRI scan