2023 Blog Entries

3/30/2023

A classic case of SPECT based myocardial perfusion imaging underestimating the presence of severe CAD. 67 Y/O male with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, abnormal EKG, and shortness of breath. Baseline EKG shows a right bundle-branch block. Peak stress shows diffuse ST depression. Perfusion images depict mild reversibilities inferior, inferolaterally with a normal ejection fraction at 60%. Because of the ischemic EKG response with exercise, a calcium scoring scan was performed which was a whopping 5300 (ideally you want 0).

2/28/2023

Kaufman Hall releases yet another in-depth financial analysis based off 900 national Hospitals.

Key points when compared to 2020:
1. Hospitals continue to operate at razor thin margins.
2. Total expenses are up 18%
3. Labor expenses are up 21%
3. Supply costs are up 12%
4. Drug expenses are up 12%

2/27/2023
New business idea: real-time wireless, 4G/5G dosimeters accessible to the general public. Why? Read this article!

2/06/2023
Which raises the question: how much is the average persons true background exposure based on their geographic location and where they commute daily?

 

2/03/2023
Absolutely love the ingenuity of where the 'wearable' market is headed. The latest is this stamp-sized, stretchable ultrasound skin patch that generates real-time ultrasound images of the heart and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to process data on how much blood the heart is pumping.

2/01/2023
Hot off the JNC press - Amiodarone has been found to blunt the absorption of Rubidium-82. As the article notes, myocardial perfusion more than likely won't be impacted, however the kinetic parameters could alter absolute myocardial blood flow.

1/22/2023
32% of Georgia's hospitals are at risk for closure over the next year. In other states such as Hawaii, Connecticut, and Alabama, more than half of the hospitals could possibly be shutting their doors.

The alarm bells should surely be ringing within Congress?

With post-pandemic healthcare needs in high demand, how will the remaining institutions adjust to this growing lack of accessibility?

1/10/2023
Latest case study of a proximal-to-mid 100% LAD occlusion. 69 year-old male with complaints of upper back, neck, shoulder pains. Transient ventricular tachycardia occurred during exercise. Septal/high-lateral EKG ST elevation and reciprocal ST depression was seen at peak. TID was abnormal at 1.3. Ejection fraction was preserved at 52%, however there was an anteroseptal wall-motion/thickening abnormality present.