March 29th, 2012
Final Note from ACC: Insights on Board (Re)Certification
John Ryan, MD
A CardioExchange event takes some of the mystery and anxiety out of the board certification process.
March 28th, 2012
Proof-of-Concept for Bedside Rapid Genotyping Test of CYP2C19
Larry Husten, PHD
A new point-of-care test can rapidly identify people with a common genetic variant associated with impaired clopidogrel function. The authors claim that this is the first study to demonstrate the feasibility of delivering a genetic test at bedside. In an article published online in the Lancet, Jason Roberts and colleagues report on a new point-of-care test that can […]
March 28th, 2012
20 Deaths Linked to New Problem with Riata Leads
Larry Husten, PHD
Electrical malfunctions, not externalized conductors, may be the cause of 20 or more deaths associated with the troubled Riata ICD leads from St. Jude Medical, according to a new report published online in Heart Rhythm. Robert Hauser and colleagues at the Minneapolis Heart Institute searched the FDA’s MAUDE database and found 22 deaths caused by Riata or […]
March 28th, 2012
A Great Take-Away Message
Jeremiah Depta, MD
A Fellow leaves ACC with a lifelong lesson from Dr. Antonio Colombo: Never accept a bad outcome as a stroke of bad luck, and the outliers (i.e. bad outcomes) are the cases where we can learn the most.
March 27th, 2012
What to Do When Federal Investigators Knock on the Door
Larry Husten, PHD
For more than a year, the federal investigation of hospitals suspected of improperly implanting ICDs has been the subject of considerable rumor and speculation. Now, two cardiologists who were involved in a federal audit at one hospital have published a detailed account of their experience. Jonathan Steinberg and Suneet Mittal are Columbia University-affiliated electrophysiologists who […]
March 27th, 2012
Presentation Day, At Last
Jeremiah Depta, MD
A Fellow describes the gratifying experience of finally presenting research from a project first conceptualized in his intern year.
March 27th, 2012
Transitioning from Trainee to Attending? The Business Details
William Kent Cornwell, MD
An ACC session helps this fellow understand how to look at a potential group, negotiate a contract, and establish healthy money management strategies.
March 27th, 2012
Statistical Pitfalls: The Onus is on Us to Look at the Evidence
Jeremiah Depta, MD
Light, not just heat, is generated in a highly animated and entertaining session on how to interpret research data.
March 27th, 2012
ASCERT Observational Study Finds Long-Term Advantage for CABG over PCI in High-Risk Cases
Larry Husten, PHD
A very large observational study finds that long-term mortality in high-risk patients is lower after bypass surgery than after PCI. The results, which were first revealed in January at the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), were presented in final form at the American College of Cardiology by William Weintraub and published simultaneously in the New England […]
March 26th, 2012
Rivaroxaban Found Safe and Effective for Pulmonary Embolism
Larry Husten, PHD
In recent years rivaroxaban has been found to be effective in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after orthopedic surgery, for the prevention of stroke in AF patients, and as additional therapy to conventional antiplatelet therapy in ACS patients. Now, a study presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting in Chicago and published simultaneously in […]