Medical Radiation Effects Discussed At TCT Meeting

According to a recent presentation, 15% of radiation exposure in the United States takes place during cardiac imaging procedures, especially during coronary CT angiography (CCTA). The presentation was highlighted during the 2010 annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) meeting, which was held recently. Andrew J. Einstein, MD, from Columbia University Medical Center, New York, said "We don't want to overlook the fact that the biggest clinical significance of radiation exposure is the benefits. Ultimately, this exposure to ionizing radiation can improve patient and societal outcomes."

Adverse Cardiac Events Not Expected With Negative CTA Results, Study

According to a new study, patients suffering from chest pain who are showing negative cardiac computed tomography angiogram (CTA) will not develop adverse cardiac events for a year following their discharge from hospitals. Cardiac CTA represents a non-invasive imaging procedure that is used to detect the presence of calcium or fatty deposits in coronary vessels that provide blood to the cardiac muscles. The study took place at the University of  Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, WA.

FDA’s Panel Recommends Approval Of Hologic’s Selenia 3D Mammography system

Hologic, a major company providing digital mammography systems, announced that the Radiological Devices Panel of the FDA has recommended approval for its Selenia Dimensions 3D digital mammography tomosynthesis system. However, the Panel’s recommendation is not obligatory. The Panel recommended the approval following the evaluation of Selenia 3D system’s safety and effectiveness for early detection of breast cancer.The Co‐Founder and Chief Technical Officer of Hologic, Jay A. Stein, commented “Our Selenia Dimensions 3D technology marks tremendous progress in the early diagnosis of breast cancer. The system is designed to increase accuracy when screening women for the presence of cancerous tissue, and to enable a more precise characterization of suspicious lesions. I speak for all of Hologic in voicing great satisfaction that the FDA Panel has weighed in so positively in favor of this valuable new tool in the battle to limit breast cancer mortality”

Northam Psychotechnologies Innovates Subconscious Screening Technology

More than 65 million individuals in North America suffer from some sort of mental illness and approximately1 out of every 5 persons will experience some mental illness during their life, according to The National Mental Health Association report. By 2020, mental illness is expected to be the leading cause of disease burden in North America, an enormous progressive problem that would cost the country hundreds of billions every year. Northam Psychotechnologies, Canadian-based company and a leading provider of integrated IT solutions in the field of psychological health, holds the North American patent pending to futuristic technologies that provide a profoundly powerful solution to this impending problem.

Radiology Technologist Malpractice Payments Are Rare

Radiology technologist malpractice payments are rare, as proved by a new study published in the September issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR). The study, entitled “Stability and Infrequency of Radiologic Technologist Malpractice Payments: An Analysis of the National Practitioner Data Bank” followed a retrospective approach to search for malpractice payment data from the National Practitioner Data Bank starting from1991 up to 2008.