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October 14, 2009 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise   Industry Update    Bracco pushes for use of PET-based rubidium for heart scans Bracco Diagnostics is actively promoting the use of positron-based rubidium for heart scans as an alternative to the use of gamma-based technetium, which is currently in short supply. Bracco's CardioGen-82 generator of rubidium isotopes is the only available product for generator-based PET myocardial perfusion imaging approved by the FDA. The company said it can supply enough CardioGen-82 to address the demand for clinical cardiac scans during the ongoing shortage. Diagnostic Imaging (10/8) AECL identifies 6 reactor locations that need repairs A data analysis conducted by Atomic Energy of Canada showed that six areas within its nuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, need to be repaired. Crews have started to clean surface corrosion in the unit so that the actual repairs could be undertaken, AECL said. The restart of the reactor is set for the first quarter of next year. AuntMinnie.com (free registration) (10/9) Other News New Zealand to use region's 1st SPECT/CT system for heart, other scans Voxy.co.nz (New Zealand)/New Zealand Press Association (10/14) Click here to view patient images. Click to access images obtained using Covidien's Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi Injection, launched September 2008.   Medical Focus    FDG-PET/CT helps determine risk of vascular events in cancer patients A German study on patients who underwent FDG-PET/CT scans for neoplastic disease found that "the combination of a calcified plaque sum greater than 15 and a mean TBR of greater than 1.7 identified patients at highest risk for a future vascular event." The finding suggests that patients undergoing PET/CT tests for cancer diagnosis or staging could also know their atherogenic risk, the researchers said. AuntMinnie.com (free registration) (10/9)   Exec: Doctors may put off EHR adoption due to Medicare payment cuts Doctors might delay the adoption of electronic health records as they face the government's planned 21.5% reductions in Medicare reimbursements under its sustainable growth rate mechanism, said William F. Jessee, CEO of the Medical Group Management Association. The MGMA and other medical groups recently urged Congress to eliminate the SGR mechanism, saying it should be "replaced with an updated system that reflects increases in physicians' and other health professionals' practice costs." Healthcare IT News (10/13) Our Mission: To be the leading provider of innovative medical imaging solutions to improve human life. Please visit Lantheus.com to see the latest Lantheus molybdenum-99 supply updates and news of our exciting new MRA product and our pipeline candidates. www.lantheus.com   Regulatory & Policy  Senate Finance Committee approves $829 billion health bill The Senate Finance Committee voted 14 to 9 to pass an $829 billion health reform proposal. President Barack Obama said the approval is a "critical milestone" to overhauling the health care system and praised committee chairman, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, for their efforts to advance the proposal. Yahoo!/The Associated Press (10/14), Bloomberg (10/13), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (10/13), NYTimes.com (10/13), Los Angeles Times (10/14) OIG to review imaging payments, appropriateness of scans The HHS Office of Inspector General will initiate a review of Medicare Part B imaging payments and the appropriateness of several tests used in the emergency department as part of its Fiscal Year 2010 Work Plan, according to a radiology group. The OIG will look into the costs associated with selected imaging services, as well as the equipment utilization rate being used by Medicare. The agency also will evaluate how data and safety monitoring boards determine safety data in clinical studies. AuntMinnie.com (free registration) (10/12)   ASNC News  Get ready for nuclear cardiology boards with NCKSAP The ASNC Nuclear Cardiology Knowledge Self-Assessment Program is a Web-based series of more than 100 multiple-choice questions with answers designed to help prepare cardiologists and radiologists for exams in nuclear cardiology. Purchase your copy and get instant access to this helpful online resource today! New podcasts highlight ASNC2009 lectures Tune in to the ASNC2009 podcast series and listen to interviews with faculty about key presentations from the Annual Scientific Session. Dr. Manuel Cerqueira gives a recap of his lecture, "Nuclear Cardiology in the Era of Multimodality Cardiac Imaging -- Can We Survive?" in the latest episode available. Learn more about ASNC -> ASNC Home  |  Join ASNC  |  Continuing Education  |  Annual Meeting Journal of Nuclear Cardiology   SmartQuote  Food is an important part of a balanced diet." --Fran Lebowitz, American author     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Account Director:  Meryl Harold (202) 407-7828   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including: Readers' Choice Search Archive Grab our News Widget Get this RSS Feed       Recent ASNC SmartBrief Issues: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 Wednesday, September 30, 2009 Wednesday, September 23, 2009 Wednesday, September 16, 2009 Wednesday, September 09, 2009     Lead Editor:  Ashley McMaster       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005     © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information