Interventional cardiology

Interventional cardiologists perform diagnostic cardiac catheterisation in the cath lab, such as coronary angiography, left ventriculography and haemodynamic measurements, and decide when a myocardial biopsy is indicated. Before elective procedures they review history, medication, ECG, echocardiography and laboratory values and set the approach to anticoagulation. Radial access is their standard route, with femoral access for large-bore sheaths. They are responsible for radiation protection following the ALARA principle and use contrast medium as sparingly as possible. Their patients range from chronic to acute coronary syndrome, and selected examinations are done as outpatient procedures.