Technology & Digital Tools Flashcards

In the cardiac catheterization laboratory, radiation dose is most effectively reduced by which operator-controlled technique?

Answer: Maximizing distance from the X-ray source and using collimation to limit beam field size

Distance (inverse square law) and collimation are the most effective operator-controlled methods to reduce scatter radiation exposure.

A subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) is contraindicated in patients who:

Answer: Require chronic cardiac pacing or antitachycardia pacing for ventricular tachycardia termination

The S-ICD lacks transvenous leads and cannot provide bradycardia pacing or antitachycardia pacing, making it unsuitable for patients requiring these functions.

Which cardiac imaging modality uses radioactive tracers to assess myocardial perfusion and is considered the gold standard for detecting viable but hibernating myocardium?

Answer: Positron emission tomography (PET) with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)

FDG-PET identifies viable hibernating myocardium by demonstrating preserved glucose metabolism in segments with reduced perfusion (perfusion-metabolism mismatch).

When programming an ICD for a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which programming strategy reduces inappropriate shocks from T-wave oversensing?

Answer: Adjusting ventricular sensing threshold and enabling wavelet-based T-wave discrimination algorithms

T-wave oversensing is common in HCM due to tall T-waves; adjusting sensitivity and enabling morphology-based discrimination reduces inappropriate therapy.

In a hospital's cardiac care unit, an electronic health record (EHR) clinical decision support alert fires when a nurse enters a QTc of 520 ms. This alert MOST appropriately prompts review of:

Answer: All QT-prolonging medications, electrolytes (K+, Mg2+), and consideration of telemetry monitoring for TdP

QTc ≥500 ms significantly increases risk of torsades de pointes; the priority is identifying and removing QT-prolonging drugs and correcting electrolyte deficiencies.

Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) used during electrophysiology procedures provides which advantage over transesophageal echocardiography?

Answer: Eliminates the need for general anesthesia or deep sedation while providing real-time intracardiac visualization

ICE catheters are advanced via femoral vein and allow high-quality cardiac imaging without requiring general anesthesia, enabling conscious sedation EP procedures.

A patient's continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data integrated into the cardiac EHR shows recurrent nocturnal hypoglycemia with simultaneous heart rate variability (HRV) changes. This finding is MOST relevant to which cardiac condition?

Answer: Increased risk of nocturnal arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy

Nocturnal hypoglycemia causes QT prolongation and autonomic instability, increasing arrhythmia risk in diabetic patients with cardiac autonomic neuropathy.