Find Your Medication |
Find Your Medication |
Common measure of heart function may be overused
Exhaustive testing is the best way for doctors to diagnose patients' potential heart problems and determine if they need a prescription to buy Paxil. However, a team of researchers from Stanford University has found that one costly and potentially risky test may be frequently overused.
Exhaustive testing is the best way for doctors to diagnose patients' potential heart problems and determine if they need a prescription to buy Paxil. However, a team of researchers from Stanford University has found that one costly and potentially risky test may be frequently overused. For the study, the researchers examined the medical records of roughly 96,000 patients. The results showed that left ventriculography was performed in 81.8 percent of patients who underwent an angiogram, making ventriculography more common than the researchers expected. The procedure was developed decades ago to assess heart function. However, it can be invasive and expensive. It involves placing a catheter into the heart, which can potentially dislodge clots and cause a stroke. Furthermore, more advanced imaging tools have emerged in recent years, the researchers said. This means that the extra cost and risk associated with ventriculography is typically not necessary. "It is extremely unusual, in these types of cases, to need another assessment. The only logical conclusion is that a practice pattern is being defined in which tests beget more tests, whether they're necessary or not," said Ronald Witteles, who led the study. |
See also ...
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: All medical content and news articles on this website is supplied by an independent third party company. While the information can be useful, this website relies on others for its creation and cannot guarantee the accuracy, medical efficacy, or reliability of the information provided. In all circumstances, you should always seek the advice of your physician and/or other qualified health professional(s) for drug, medical condition, or treatment advice. This website does not provide any medical advice. The content provided on this website is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. |