Nuclear Cardiology and
General Nuclear Medicine:
Technology:
The speciality of medicine deals with the study of different parts of the body using radioactive (safe medical grade) chemicals injected into the patient. The distribution of the chemicals is then picturised using a special camera. The nuclear medicine laboratory is well equipped with a Gamma Camera (Siemens Orbitor) - a dual head 'INFINIA GAMA CAMERA'.
Procedures:
Since 1989, over 5000 Thallium and Muga scans have been performed at this facility. Nearly 10,000 non-cardiac studies have also been performed at the centre. These include bone, renal, thyroid, liver and lung scans, whole body imaging with Iodine-131 and Gallium-67. The RIA laboratory carries on mainly assess of Serum T3, T4, TSH and Digoxin levels.
Treatement of thyrotoxicosis with radioactive iodine is also provided to about 200 patients each year.
In future there are plans to procure a NOC for carrying out therapy procedure for Thyroid Cancer patients.
New Areas of Interest:
The centre has performed clinical trials with new Radio labelled compounds for cardiac imaging. About 100 patients with ischaemic heart disease have undergone Tetrafosmin and Sestamibi stress cardiac perfusion scans. Pharmacological stress thallium and Sestamibi scans with Adenosine and Dobutamine are also being performed regularly. The scans were found to complement and help further management of these patients.
Research Activity:
The centre is planning research studies in future on brain perfusion imaging with brain perfusing tracers, cancer imaging studies of especially of breast and prostate cancer and pain palliation treatment for prostate and breast cancers. The Centre plans to acquire a new sophisticated state of the art Gamma Camera for research and diagnostic purposes soon.
Echocardiography and Colour Doppler:
Technology:
This involves ultrasonic sound waves transmitted towards the patient.The reflected waves are picked up by a transducer and plotted on a screen providing a real-time image of the heart and any defects if present.
Echocardiography has become the standard diagnostic technique in modern cardiac medicine. B. M Birla Heart Research Centre has four colour Doppler Systems (Hewlett-Packard, Model: Sonos 5500) for use in the out-patient department. In addition, a dual head 'INFINIA GAMA CAMERA'.
Transoesophageal echocardiography, wherein a probe is inserted into the patient's oesophagus to study the heart from behind, is routinely used, particularly in the operation theatres. Stress Echocardiogram and colour Doppler Sonograph of arteries and veins are also done routinely.
Areas of Interest:
Research Work:
About 40% of the entire work load of the department is of Paediatric age group. As such, we have vast experience of echocardiography in complex congenital heart diseases. Besides conducting regular seminars and workshops our papers have been published in various Cardiac and Paediatric Journals.
ECG:
The Electrocardiogram is a pictorial record of the electrical activity of the heart, which gives doctors an idea of its functioning. Abnormalities in rhythm, size, structure, electrical pathways and blood supply of the heart can be detected with this simple investigation. Accuracy in recording are of prime importance and this is achieved using computerized machine at our centre. We also have facilities for recording signal averaged ECG to detect late potentials on a HP signal averaged page writer machine.
Holter Monitoring:
The basic idea is to monitor the electrical activity of heart over a certain period continuously while the patient is ambulatory, usually done over 24 hours for evaluation of any rhythm disturbance or ischaemia etc. Eight holter machines of Marquette and Hewlett Packard make and two computer analysers of the same make help us to perform eight cases a day. We also have event recorders (King of Heart and Rhythm Card) which can record ambulatory cardiac events in patients over a span of 7 days and the events can be signalled to our CCU as telephonic ECGs. Doctors in CCU analyse the telephonic ECGs and take immediate action based on the ECG findings.
Stress Room:
Electrophysiological investigations namely, Exercise Stress testing or Treadmill test and Holter monitoring, are done in this room.
Stress Test:
Staff and Equipment:
The Stress Room is adequately equipped with emergency devices such as cardiac defibrillator, oxygen cylinders and life-saving medication.
Areas of Interest:
Correlation of Stress Test findings with other non-invasive investigations performed on the same patient in the backdrop of the patient's clinical status, thereby making it possible to assess the specificity and sensitivity of the test.
Research:
Several works based on Exercise Stress Testing have been acknowledged and published in different national and international journals.
The B.M Birla Heart Research Centre has a well equipped Respiratory Function Laboratory. The system used for testing is from P K MORGAN, UK.Test Facilities available at this Centre.
Patients who come for cardiac check-ups undertake 2 lung function test if required, also all patients undergo this test prior to undertaking cardiac surgery. Pulmonary Function Testing(PPT) helps in the early detection of patients who are likely to have post-operative complications as well as useful in the assessment of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma and cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis.
All smokers should undertake a respiratory function study at the earliest, irrespective of symptomatology.
This Department has both a Paediatric division and an Adult division. Highly qualified full-time consultants, trained at the best centers in the world, provide their services here as Interventional Cardiologists.
This Department is staffed by four full time Senior Consultant Cardiologists, a number of Post Graduate qualification holding Registrars and Senior House Officers. This is argumented by a number of Honorary visiting Consultant Cardiologists.
Two Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories form the heart of the Cardiology Department. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are carried out by highly skilled teams of Invasive Cardiologists, Technicians and Nurses. Over 12,000 procedures have been carried out in a short span of 6 years. The well equipped labs include:
Procedures:
Apart from Cardiac Catheterization, Coronary Angiograms and Peripheral Angiograms prodedures like Balloon Coronary Angioplasty, Balloon Valvuloplasty, Directional Coronary Atherectomy, Rotablation and Intra Coronary stent implantation are carried out routinely. Electrophysological study of heart and Radio frequency ablation is another activity undertaken in the Lab together with Pacemaker implantation. Balloon Septastomy and transcatherer embolization are also done in the lab when required. Success rate for various procedures in the Lab is Comparable to International Standards and the mortality is as low as .0001% till date.
Started in the year 1993, this Division is one of the very few in the Country and the only one so far in Eastern India to provide a comprehensive Paediatric and Nonatal Cardiac Service.
Staffing:
Workload:
Paediatric Outpatient Clinic:
Non-Invasive Diagnostic:
Invasive Diagnosis:
Non-Surgical Intervention:
Results:
