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| » Latest Guidelines and Consensus on Cardiac CT Usage Launched in Malaysia |
23 March 2009
SP Chin
International Medical University, Malaysia
The National Heart Association of Malaysia in collaboration with the College of Radiology (Malaysia) announced their joint statement on the usage of Cardiac CT recently www.malaysianheart.org. The guidelines are intended to create awareness about Cardiac CT, its indications, benefits and the risks involved. The target audience are general and family practitioner and physicians and appropriately the guidelines were launched at the biennial meeting of the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia and Singapore. Another section is devoted to the training and accreditation of cardiologists and radiologists and other staff intending to provide Cardiac CT services.
Designed in anticipation of rapid technological advances, the statement describes only the current information on indications and contraindications and chose to leave out a large section of conditions and situations which border on the fringe of cost and risk benefit. Research and audit are encouraged and recommended as part of the criteria for completion of advanced level training.
An important undertaking of the joint statement was focused on the reporting of extra-cardiac thoracic features in the imaging acquired. Should this be the responsibility of the cardiologist? Should the entire lung fields be captured and how would this move impact upon the radiation risk? The summary and conclusions of this and other pragmatic issues are incorporated into the guidelines. Finally the guidelines will be reviewed by 2011 or sooner.
This article was first published in Asian Radiation Newsletter February 2009 - Issue No 5
For further information, kindly visit http://rpop.iaea.org
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