64 Slice CT Scan Proves To Be Effective In Detecting Heart Blockages That Would Otherwise Look To Heart Catheterizations

Very interesting considering I have been a cardiac nurse for near 10 years and have always been told and observed that a cardiac catheterization is the only “real” way to visualize blockages in the heart…

A study by an international team of cardiac imaging specialists, led by researchers at Johns Hopkins, concludes that sophisticated computed tomography (CT) scans of the heart and its surrounding arteries are almost as reliable and accurate as more invasive procedures to check for blockages.

The 64 slice CT scan that the researcher’s are talking about was first introduced in the US in 2005 and was tested at Johns Hopkins. Beware though, they are not saying that the CT scans will replace cardiac cath’s but to rule out patients that do not need the more invasive procedure. The 64 slice CT scan also proved to be a good predictor of patients that will need catheterizations in the future.

via Science Daily