Coronary Atherosclerosis Across the Glycemic Spectrum Among Asymptomatic Adults: The Miami Heart Study at Baptist Health South Florida.

Background: The contemporary burden and characteristics of coronary atherosclerosis, assessed using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), is unknown among asymptomatic adults with diabetes and prediabetes in the United States. The pooled cohort equations and coronary artery calcium (CAC) score stratify atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk, but their association with CCTA findings across glycemic categories is not well established.

Methods: Asymptomatic adults without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease enrolled in the Miami Heart Study were included.

Coronary Atherosclerosis in an Asymptomatic U.S. Population: Miami Heart Study at Baptist Health South Florida.

Background: The burden of total coronary plaque, plaque subtypes, and high-risk plaque features was unknown in asymptomatic individuals from the general U.S. primary prevention population.

The Miami Heart Study (MiHeart) at Baptist Health South Florida, A prospective study of subclinical cardiovascular disease and emerging cardiovascular risk factors in asymptomatic young and middle-aged adults: The Miami Heart Study: Rationale and Design.

Objective: The Miami Heart Study (MiHeart) at Baptist Health South Florida is an ongoing, community-based, prospective cohort study aimed at characterizing the prevalence, characteristics, and prognostic value of diverse markers of early subclinical coronary atherosclerosis and of various potential demographic, psychosocial, and metabolic risk factors. We present the study objectives, detailed research methods, and preliminary baseline results of MiHeart.

Methods: MiHeart enrolled 2,459 middle-aged male and female participants from the general population of the Greater Miami Area.

Breastfeeding and Risk of Late-Onset Group B Streptococcal Disease.

Background: Group B (GBS) is a major contributor to neonatal sepsis worldwide. Late-onset group B disease (LOGBS) and its risk factors remain poorly understood. The isolation of GBS from breast milk has been described in cases of LOGBS.

Combined stress myocardial CT perfusion and coronary CT angiography as a feasible strategy among patients presenting with acute chest pain to the emergency department.

Background: A combined approach of myocardial CT perfusion (CTP) with coronary CT angiography (CTA) was shown to have better diagnostic accuracy than coronary CTA alone. However, data on cost benefits and length of stay when compared to other perfusion imaging modalities has not been evaluated. Therefore, we aim to perform a feasibility study to assess direct costs and length of stay of a combined stress CTP/CTA and use SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) as a benchmark, among chest pain patients at intermediate-risk for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presenting to the emergency department (ED).

Volumetric Single-Beat Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography: Relationship of Image Quality, Heart Rate, and Body Mass Index. Initial Patient Experience With a New Computed Tomography Scanner.

Background: Cardiac computed tomography (CT) image quality (IQ) is very important for accurate diagnosis. We propose to evaluate IQ expressed as Likert scale, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) from coronary CT angiography images acquired with a new volumetric single-beat CT scanner on consecutive patients and assess the IQ dependence on heart rate (HR) and body mass index (BMI).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of the first 439 consecutive patients (mean age, 55.

Triage of patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department: implementation of coronary CT angiography in a large urban health care system.

Objective: There is growing evidence supporting the use of coronary CT angiography (CTA) to triage patients in the emergency department (ED) with acute chest pain and low risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We hypothesized that coronary CTA can guide early management and safely discharge patients by introducing a dedicated patient management protocol.

Subjects And Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in three EDs of a large health care system (> 1300 beds).

Evaluation of myocardial CT perfusion in patients presenting with acute chest pain to the emergency department: comparison with SPECT-myocardial perfusion imaging.

Objective: To determine whether evaluation of resting myocardial CT perfusion (CTP) from coronary CT angiography (CTA) datasets in patients presenting with chest pain (CP) to the emergency department (ED), might have added value to coronary CTA.

Design, Setting: 76 Patients (age 54.9 y±13; 32 (42%) women) presenting with CP to the ED underwent coronary 64-slice CTA.

Cardiac CT in the emergency department: convincing evidence, but cautious implementation.

In clinical practice, assessment of chest pain patients presenting to the emergency department is difficult and the work-up can be lengthy and costly. There is growing evidence supporting the use of coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) in early assessment of patients presenting with acute chest pain to the emergency department. CTA appears to be a faster and more accurate way to diagnosis or rule out coronary stenosis, leading to reduced hospital admissions, decreased time in the ED and lower costs.

Relationship between previous training and experience and results of the certification examination in cardiovascular computed tomography.

Examinees of the first Certifying Examination in Cardiovascular Computed Tomography were surveyed regarding their training and experience in cardiac computed tomography. The results support the current training pathways within the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association competency criteria that include either experience-based or formal training program in cardiovascular computed tomography. Increased duration in clinical practice, the number of scans clinically interpreted in practice, and level 3 competency were associated with higher passing rates.

Cardiac computed tomography in the emergency department: A patient with acute epigastric pain.

We report the application of coronary CT angiogram in urgent assessment of a patient presenting to the emergency department with acute and nonspecific cardiothoracic symptoms.

Multicenter trial of high-speed versus conventional single-photon emission computed tomography imaging: quantitative results of myocardial perfusion and left ventricular function.

Objectives: This prospective, multicenter trial compared quantitative results of myocardial perfusion imaging and function using a high-speed single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system with those obtained with conventional SPECT.

Background: A novel SPECT camera was shown in a pilot study to detect a similar amount of myocardial perfusion abnormality compared with conventional SPECT in one-seventh of the acquisition time.

Methods: A total of 238 patients underwent myocardial perfusion imaging with conventional and high-speed SPECT at 4 U.

Water ice and organics on the surface of the asteroid 24 Themis.

It has been suggested that Earth's current supply of water was delivered by asteroids, some time after the collision that produced the Moon (which would have vaporized any of the pre-existing water). So far, no measurements of water ice on asteroids have been made, but its presence has been inferred from the comet-like activity of several small asteroids, including two members of the Themis dynamical family. Here we report infrared spectra of the asteroid 24 Themis which show that ice and organic compounds are not only present on its surface but also prevalent.

A novel high-sensitivity rapid-acquisition single-photon cardiac imaging camera.

Unlabelled: This study described and validated a new solid-state single-photon gamma-camera and compared it with a conventional-SPECT Anger camera. The compact new camera uses a unique method for localizing gamma-photon information with a bank of 9 solid-state detector columns with tungsten collimators that rotate independently.

Methods: Several phantom studies were performed comparing the new technology with conventional-SPECT technology.

Blueprint of the certification examination in cardiovascular computed tomography.

Physician certification is critical in all areas of cardiovascular imaging to assure optimal performance and interpretation of quality studies for patient diagnosis and management. This is especially important in the field of cardiovascular computed tomography where practitioners have varied training and expertise that may not cover the full range of skills in the technical, image interpretative and clinical application of the results for patient management. The Certification Board of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography was developed to test the minimal level of competence of physicians performing cardiovascular computed tomography.

Acute chest pain imaging in the emergency department with cardiac computed tomography angiography.

In practice, the determination of ischemic chest pain in the emergency department (ED) population is difficult and errors are common. Cardiac computed tomography angiography has recently emerged for accurate noninvasive evaluation of coronary artery disease, and it may offer a promising new approach to improve the triage of patients presenting to the ED with acute chest pain, in particular in terms of a faster and accurate way to determine the diagnosis, which could effectively reduce hospital admissions and costs. The focus of this article is to review the current literature on the use of cardiac computed tomography angiography in the ED setting by providing pooled sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the published literature to date.