About 250 delegates from all over the country are expected to participate in the 5th Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Cardiac Imaging being hosted by the Department of Radiology, Christian Medical College, on its campus in Bagayam here on October 23 and 24.
Briefing newspersons about the two-day event here on Thursday, N.K. Shyam Kumar, Professor and Head of the Department of Radiology, CMC, said that there were various heart conditions, constituting one of the leading causes of mortality. In many situations, quick diagnosis and early treatment was crucial.
A number of tests such as electro-cardiography (ECG) and catheter angiography and imaging techniques such as chest X-ray, computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography (ECHO) helped in the diagnosis of the conditions.
Dr. Shyam Kumar said cardiac MRI, which is available in the Department of Radiology, CMC, had significantly aided in the diagnosis of complex cardiac conditions. “This technique is relatively safe and is non-invasive and does not include the hazards of radiation. Cardiac imaging can help explain the results from other basic preliminary tests.
However, it is also more expensive and may not be available at all centres. The conference aims at spreading awareness and promoting this imaging modality.” Live demonstrations and workshops would be conducted during the conference, he said.
Elizabeth Joseph, Professor of Radiology, CMC and founder president of IACI, said that a cardiac patient was first assessed with ECG. If necessary, ECHO was done.
Even after ECHO, if the doctor had any doubt, the patient was sent for coronary CT angiogram. If the doctor suspected coronary disease or coronary myocardial infarction, the patient was sent for cardiac MRI which facilitates a prediction of the thickness of the myocardial infarction.
Gibikote Sridhar V., Senior Professor, Department of Radiology, said that 20 specialists would be presenting papers at the conference. They included three international specialists Matthias G. Friedrich, Professor of Medicine and Radiology, University of Montreal and Calgary, Ron Jacob, Director, Cardio-Vascular MRI, Lancaster General Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, US and Yuchi Han, Assistant Professor, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Shyam Kumar said that the conference was endorsed by Society of Cardiac MR Imaging. The delegates would be given certificates issued by SCMR.
