Groups aim to standardize nuclear medicine imaging of CV infections

Eleven medical associations have released guidance on the use of PET/CT and SPECT/CT for patients with cardiovascular (CV) infections. The recommendations could improve patient care, as current clinical tools are often insufficient in complicated cases, noted lead author of the guidance Jamieson Bourque, MD, of the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville. The document was published jointly March 11 in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology, Clinical Infectious Diseases, the Heart Rhythm Journal, and JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging. “The stakes are high with cardiovascular infection because the incidence is increasing and there is associated high morbidity and mortality,” Bourque said in an Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) news release. Valvular infective endocarditis is a bacterial infection of the heart valves, leading to growths that can disrupt normal function and that can lead to heart failure and stroke. In the U.S. and elsewhere, studies suggest the incidence of these infections is increasing due to higher rates of device implants and the recent epidemic of injection drug use, according to the authors. In PET/CT and SPECT/CT exams, patients are first injected with radiotracers that target the site of the infections, with the scanners then revealing the activity. In the article, experts provide evidence-based consensus on specific clinical scenarios where PET/CT and SPECT/CT add value for patient care. The recommendations emphasize the compl...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Molecular Imaging Source Type: news