catheterization laboratory

Most catheterization laboratories are "single plane" facilities, those that have a single X-ray generator source and an X-ray image intensifier for fluoroscopic imaging.{{cite book|last1=Hertrich|first1=Peter|title=Practical Radiography|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9783895782107|page=96|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GSd0IqSt3bsC&pg=PA94|language=en|date=2005-07-11}} Older cath labs used cine film to record the information obtained, but since 2000, most new facilities are digital. The latest digital cath labs are biplane (have two X-ray sources) and use flat panel detectors.{{cite book|last1=Sievert|first1=Horst|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dq_lqgqP-REC&pg=PA7|title=Percutaneous Interventions for Congenital Heart Disease|last2=Qureshi|first2=Shakeel|last3=Wilson|first3=Neil|last4=Hijazi|first4=Ziyad M.|date=2007-03-20|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9780203018262|page=7|language=en|author-link2=Shakeel Ahmed Qureshi}}

Cardiac catheterization laboratories are usually staffed by a multidisciplinary team. This may include a medical practitioner (normally either a consultant cardiologist or radiologist), cardiac physiologist, radiographer and nurse.{{cite journal|last1=Banning|first1=Adrian P|last2=Baumbach|first2=Andreas|last3=Blackman|first3=Dan|last4=Curzen|first4=Nick|last5=Devadathan|first5=Sen|last6=Fraser|first6=Douglas|last7=Ludman|first7=Peter|last8=Norell|first8=Micheal|last9=Muir|first9=Dougie|last10=Nolan|first10=James|last11=Redwood|first11=Simon|title=Percutaneous coronary intervention in the UK: recommendations for good practice 2015|journal=Heart|date=3 June 2015|volume=101|issue=Suppl 3|pages=1–13|doi=10.1136/heartjnl-2015-307821|pmid=26041756|doi-access=free|pmc=4484255}}{{cite journal|last1=Naidu|first1=Srihari S.|last2=Aronow|first2=Herbert D.|last3=Box|first3=Lyndon C.|last4=Duffy|first4=Peter L.|last5=Kolansky|first5=Daniel M.|last6=Kupfer|first6=Joel M.|last7=Latif|first7=Faisal|last8=Mulukutla|first8=Suresh R.|last9=Rao|first9=Sunil V.|last10=Swaminathan|first10=Rajesh V.|last11=Blankenship|first11=James C.|title=SCAI expert consensus statement: 2016 best practices in the cardiac catheterization laboratory|journal=Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions|date=September 2016|volume=88|issue=3|pages=407–423|doi=10.1002/ccd.26551|pmid=27137680|language=en|doi-access=free}}

The consultant cardiologist is responsible for gaining arterial access, inserting a sheath into either the radial or femoral artery, passing a wire and catheter into the coronary artery and selectively injecting contrast media into the coronary arteries. They then interpret the images taken to ascertain where the narrowed or blocked artery has the problem. They use a variety of techniques and imaging tools to measure the size of things such as balloons and stents.

Cardiac physiologists usually set up what is known as a transducer to monitor pressure in the arteries. They also have a live view of the patients ECG so they can tell whether or not there is a problem caused by the insertion of the catheter into the heart to the electrical pathways.{{cite web|title=Emergency angioplasty: inside the catheter lab|url=https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-matters-magazine/medical/primary-angioplasty/radiographer|website=British Heart Foundation|accessdate=2 January 2018|language=en}}{{cite web|title=What does a cardiac physiologist do?|url=https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-matters-magazine/medical/a-medical-who-is-who/cardiac-physiologist|website=British Heart Foundation|accessdate=2 January 2018|language=en}} The physiologist will also set up a temporary pacemaker if the procedure is an angioplasty or a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Finally, they also set up defibrillators on to the patient for emergency use if needed. In some locations, some of these responsibilities may be carried out by other personnel, such as trained nurses or technologists.{{cite book|last1=Watson|first1=Sandy|last2=Gorski|first2=Kenneth|title=Invasive Cardiology: A Manual for Cath Lab Personnel|date=2010|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning|isbn=9780763764685|pages=119–129|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eDWH-HFJEjsC&pg=PA119|language=en|chapter=Cath Lab Staff Duties}}

{{Main|Cardiac catheterization}}

Cardiac catheterization is a general term for a group of procedures that are performed in the cath lab, such as coronary angiography. Once a catheter is in place, it can be used to perform a number of procedures including angioplasty, PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) angiography, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, balloon septostomy, and an electrophysiology study or catheter ablation. Devices such as pacemakers may be fitted or rotablation to remove plaque can be performed.{{cite web|title=What to expect in a cath lab|url=https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-matters-magazine/medical/what-to-expect-in-a-cath-lab|website=British Heart Foundation|accessdate=20 April 2017|language=en}}{{cite book|last1=Kobus|first1=Richard L.|title=Building Type Basics for Healthcare Facilities|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9780470135419|page=67|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TBXMA8ndUXoC&pg=PA67|language=en|chapter=Interventional Departments|date=2008-04-25}}

• Cardiology

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003419.htm MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Cardiac catheterization]
• [https://armery.ca/research Observational study on cases of brain and neck tumors among cath lab operators]

{{Cardiac procedures}}

Category:Medical testing equipment

Category:Cardiac procedures

Category:Cardiac imaging

Category:Cardiac surgery

Category:Interventional cardiology