Jan-02

The buzz in the trenches is coated stents, no doubt. This month, we offer a quick summary, and list conclusions from some of the published research over the past few months. The more immediate future, however, holds another question: is having brachytherapy onsite worthwhile for your facility? Dr. Simon of Brigham and Women™s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, talks about his experiences with beta radiation and the RENO trial. Over 85 cath labs share their data with us this month, also beginning on our cover. Susana Rangel, RN, and Dan Ketter hope to offer some insight to those managers and staff who are looking for the forest but are caught up in the trees. You may recall our controversial September 2001 article about how staff do perc sticks at Borgess Medical Center. Author Gerard Lagasse, RCIS, has gathered his defenses and speaks out against the criticisms of commentary author Dr. Jackson Thatcher and the readers who wrote us with their comments. Michael Jacobbe, RN, provides an insider™s look at an unusual procedure where cath lab staff help cause an MI, rather than treat it alcohol septal ablation, utilized for the treatment of Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Finally, don™t miss our What Do You Think? questions. Your peers are hoping to hear answers resulting from your experience, wisdom and insight. The truth is out there, right? Enjoy! Rebecca Yospyn Managing Editor CathLabDigest@aol.com

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