1521-CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LABORATORY-BASIC

What Will You Learn?

• the cath lab — Orientation to the lab environment, roles of the heart team, equipment, and basic workflow.
• Cardiac anatomy, physiology, and views/projections — Basic heart structures, coronary anatomy, ECG & hemodynamic monitoring, common angiographic views, and how to obtain optimal images safely.
• Indications and patient selection — Reasons for referral (e.g., coronary artery disease, unstable angina, valvular disease, congenital issues, post-MI complications), appropriate use criteria (AUC), risks vs. benefits, and diagnostic testing (functional, physiologic, anatomic).
• Pre-procedure preparation — Patient assessment, common medications in the cath lab, consent, contrast agents (types, osmolality, risks like CIN or allergic reactions), radiation safety principles, infection control, and high-risk patient identification.
• Procedural basics — Arterial access (femoral vs. radial/brachial), diagnostic and interventional catheters, wires, balloons, stents, anticoagulation, performing diagnostic angiography and basic PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention).
• Hemodynamics — Right and left heart catheterization tracings, avoiding common errors in pressure readings, and interpreting data.
• Post-procedure care — Hemostasis techniques (radial band, femoral compression, vascular closure devices), site management, and monitoring.
• Complications and management — Common issues like hematomas, radial/femoral complications, arrhythmias, perforation, contrast reactions, radiation injury, and emergency responses (with clinical guidelines for prophylaxis and treatment).
• Quality, safety, and radiation management — QA benchmarks, infection control, radiation dose reduction strategies, staff protection, and post-procedure follow-up.