Wider use of cardiac PET faces challenges

Strategies to increase the use of cardiac PET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in the U.S. include education, advocacy, and industry partnerships, according to a study published January 10 in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology.

Cardiac PET MPI has emerged as a key tool for diagnosing and managing patients with cardiovascular diseases, especially coronary artery disease, yet overall it remains underutilized in the U.S., noted Rupa Sanghani, MD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and colleagues.

“With combined and focused effort, we can ensure that cardiac PET is widely recognized and utilized as a valuable tool in the assessment of ischemic heart disease,” the group wrote.

In North America, PET MPI using rubidium-82 and N-13 ammonia radiotracers has gained prominence, with its growth driven by superior diagnostic accuracy compared to other imaging modalities and its potential for reducing radiation exposure to patients, the authors explained.

Despite its superb diagnostic performance, data from the Medicare payment database indicates that in 2021, 194,554 PET MPI studies were performed for Medicare patients, while 1,470,751 SPECT MPI studies were performed, a ratio of 7.5 to 1.3, the authors noted.

Also, out of 400 centers in the U.S. that perform PET MPI, many perform a low volume of PET studies, with 56% of the cases in the Medicare database being performed in only 20 hospitals, they noted.

In Canada, PET/CT scanners are now available in all but one pro...

Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - January 17, 2024 Category: Radiology Authors: Will Morton Tags: Subspecialties Molecular Imaging Cardiovascular Radiology Source Type: news