CT Coronary Angiography comes of age!

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A non-invasive and much cheaper test for coronary disease is available when  a diagnosis of CAD is uncertain. Until recently, CT Coronary Angiography (CTCA)could not adequately identify coronary artery blockages. While not accurate enough to provide a pathway necessary to identify and treat these lesions, it avoids the risks and high costs of cardiac catherization, an important benefit. CTCA is most …

Low Diagnostic Yield of Elective Coronary Angiography

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(From: Low Diagnostic Yield of Elective Coronary Angiography, Manesh R. Patel, M.D.,et al.,N Engl J Med 362;10, 886-895) …slightly more than one third of patients without known disease who underwent elective cardiac catheterizationhad obstructive coronary artery disease. The authors analyzed data from a national registry on cardiac catheterization, reporting only 38% of elective, diagnostic coronary angiograms showed obstructive lesions, and 39% of …

Antiplatelet Drugs, Prevention and Treatment of Arterial Thrombosis

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Current guidelines support dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel (Plavix) in a number of clinical scenarios: ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (SEMI), Non-ST-elevation MI, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. The guidelines are based on strong evidence from several large randomized clinical trials over the last 10 years. Dual antiplatelet therapy is recommended after ST-elevation MI or non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes, with aspirin indefinitely …