Health Imaging & IT - November 2007 - (Page 128)

s tat s h e e t Low-density coronary plaque detected by multidetector CT angiography (CTA) predicted an increased risk of cardiac events in the absence of hemodynamically significant stenosis, according to findings presented at a conference sponsored by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. CTA identified low-density plaque in almost half of patients who developed unstable angina or myocardial infarction during almost three years of follow-up. Patients with low-density plaque also had triple the likelihood of acute coronary syndrome during follow-up. Image: Toshiba America Medical Systems cta can predict increased cardiac risk It access varies by physician type A recent study by the Center for Studying Health System Change finds significant variation in IT adoption across physician specialties. The study, “Clinical Information Technology Adoption Varies Across Physician Specialties,” examined whether physicians had access to IT in their practices for: » Obtaining information about treatment alternatives or recommended guidelines » Accessing patient notes, medication lists, or problems lists » Writing prescriptions » Exchanging clinical data and images with other physicians » Exchanging clinical data and images with hospitals Surgeons lag behind medical specialists in access to IT for four of the five clinical activities, and they also were less likely to have all five clinical activities associated with an electronic medical record. Primarycare physicians lagged behind medical specialists in IT access for accessing notes and exchanging data with other physicians. Physicians with access to IT for all five clinical activities were considered to have an electronic medical record. Lung cancer protein could help with early diagnosis A protein expressed by virtually all lung cancers offers the potential for a serum biomarker that could lead to early diagnosis of more patients, according to findings presented at a conference sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research. Detectable serum levels of human aspartyl (asparaginyl) ß-hydroxylase (HAAH) were identified in 99 percent of a group of lung cancer patients, but none were seen in a cancer-free control group. Therefore, a serum test for HAAH has promise as another diagnostic tool for lung cancer. X-ray and CT are most commonly used to diagnose the condition, but a serologic test would have higher sensitivity and lower cost. spect improves heart attack outcomes PET IDs best patients for cardiac resync therapy Positron emission tomography (PET) can identify patients with ischemic heart failure who are most likely to benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), according to findings presented at a meeting of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. The PET-determined count of scarred myocardial segments and total scar score predicted the likelihood of response to CRT. CRT improves symptoms, exercise capacity, left ventricular ejection fraction, and survival in patients with depressed left ventricular ejection fraction and ventricular dyssynchrony. However, as many as 30 percent of patients treated with CRT do not derive a benefit, and the reasons for the lack of response are not completely understood. HealthImaging.com Risk stratification using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) led to shorter stays and fewer readmissions for hospitalized heart attack patients, investigators reported at a conference sponsored by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. Average length of stay was more than half a day shorter compared with stays of patients who did not have SPECT, and 12-month post-discharge hospital days were cut by 1.5 days. Use of coronary angiography and revascularization procedures also was lower in patients who had SPECT imaging while in the hospital. The current study evaluated the impact of SPECT on hospital utilization, angiography, and revascularization in myocardial infarction (MI) survivors. Investigators retrospectively reviewed claims data on 5 million Medicare and privately insured patients hospitalized for acute MI from 1998 through 2005. 128 n o v e m b e r 2 0 07 | Health Imaging & IT http://HealthImaging.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Health Imaging & IT - November 2007

Health Imaging & IT November 2007 RSNA 360 Table of Contents Table of Contents On the Web: HealthImaging.com The Enterprise: Imaging & IT = Knowledge News Update RSNA 360: Technology Previews RSNA 360: PACS RSNA 360: PACS Peripherals RSNA 360: Reading Services RSNA 360: Voice Recognition & Reporting RSNA 360: Furniture RSNA 360: CT RSNA 360: Molecular Imaging RSNA 360: Advanced Visualization RSNA 360: MRI RSNA 360: Ultrasound RSNA 360: Health IT RSNA 360: Cardiac Imaging RSNA 360: Digital X-ray RSNA 360: Women’s Imaging RSNA 360: CAD RSNA 360: Data Storage & Archiving RSNA 360: Displays RSNA 360: Oncology Imaging PACS & the EHR: Users Love the Link Lung CAD: A Power Tool in the Imaging Toolset Special Section: RIS/PACS: Efficiency Gains through Integration Fine-Tuning Breast Imaging Workflow Peace of Mind: Long-term Archives that Deliver QA in Medical Displays: Two Approaches CPOE: Wonders in Workflow Emergency Imaging in Flux Reader's Resource Stat Sheet

Health Imaging & IT - November 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.