CardioExchange Archive

April 17th, 2012

Million Dollar Bonuses for Five Ohio State University Electrophysiologists

Larry Husten, PHD

Five Ohio State University electrophysiologists received 2011 bonus payments greater than $1 million, resulting in total pay for the year for each cardiologist of about $2 million. The news was first reported by the Dayton Daily News and subsequently covered by Heartwire. Five out of seven bonuses that topped $1 million at OSU went to the electrophysiologists. […]

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April 16th, 2012

The Audible

Shengshou Hu, M.D.

Every electrophysiologist knows there are a million things that can be done for patients with atrial fibrillation. But sometimes not doing an invasive procedure is the best choice.

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April 10th, 2012

Round Two: Heart Rhythm Editor Rejects St. Jude Request to Retract Riata Paper

Larry Husten, PHD

Douglas Zipes, the editor of Heart Rhythm, said the journal will not retract a controversial paper that has raised new safety concerns about St. Jude’s embattled Riata leads. On Friday, as electrophysiologist Wes Fisher told CardioExchange, St. Jude issued a press release alleging numerous mistakes and oversights in an article by Robert Hauser published online in Heart Rhythm linking the company’s Riata and […]

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April 9th, 2012

David vs. Goliath: St. Jude Medical Seeks Retraction of Heart Rhythm Journal Manuscript

Shengshou Hu, M.D.

CardioExchange welcomes this guest post from Dr. Westby Fisher, an electrophysiologist practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Illinois, and a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. This piece originally appeared on his blog, Dr. Wes. St. Jude Medical, a widely-used manufacturer of implantable cardiac devices, finds they have a bit of a problem […]

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April 5th, 2012

When the Feds Come Knocking

Westby G Fisher, MD and John Mandrola, MD, FACC

CardioExchange welcomes this guest post from electrophysiologists Westby Fisher and John Mandrola. This piece originally appeared on their respective blogs, Dr. Wes and Dr. John M. Slightly over a year ago, the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched an investigation of a large number of institutions regarding concerns that implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) procedures were performed for […]

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April 2nd, 2012

Improved Survival After Non-Shockable Cardiac Arrest with New CPR Guidelines

Larry Husten, PHD

In recent years, resuscitation guidelines have evolved to emphasize chest compressions. At the same time, a greater proportion of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) cases are now due to “nonshockable” rhythms, defined as asystole and pulseless electrical activity, but the effect of the new guidelines on these type of OHCA cases is unknown. In a study published in Circulation, Peter […]

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April 2nd, 2012

Federal Audit of ICD Implants? Preparation Is Key

Jonathan Simon Steinberg, MD

CardioExchange welcomes Dr. Jonathan Steinberg, a Columbia University-affiliated electrophysiologist who also directs the EP program at a large suburban nonteaching hospital. A co-author of a JACC special article that describes the federal audit of his hospital’s ICD implants, Dr. Steinberg answers our questions about the audit process. What should cardiologists do to avoid a federal audit? […]

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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 Riata […]

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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 also […]

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March 19th, 2012

Questions Raised About Antiplatelet Therapy in Chronic Kidney Disease

Larry Husten, PHD

Many people develop chronic kidney disease (CKD) as they grow older, and many people with CKD take antiplatelet agents to prevent cardiovascular events. However, the efficacy of antiplatelet therapy in CKD has not been examined, despite the fact that people with CKD are more likely to die from nonatherosclerotic conditions and are more likely to […]

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