title: A comparison between dual axis rotational coronary angiography and conventional coronary angiography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary angiography remains the gold standard for the investigation of coronary artery disease, and is carried out in multiple, predefined stationary views, at different angulations around the patient, for both left and right coronary arteries. Dual axis rotational coronary angiography (DARA) is an alternative technique wherein the c-arm rotates around the patient in a preprogrammed single acquisition, exposing the entire coronary artery at different angulations. The DARA system has been recently installed in the Cardiac Catheterisation Suite at Mater Dei Hospital, Malta, where a monoplane and a biplane machine are available. This study was carried out in order to compare DARA with conventional single and biplane coronary imaging, with respect to radiation dose, contrast loads, and procedure time.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was carried out over the period from September to December 2010. Four hundred sixty-three patients were studied. Patients referred for the investigation of native coronary anatomy, for whatever indication, were consented and included, and randomly assigned to one of four groups depending on which machine and modality was used: monoplane conventional, monoplane DARA, biplane conventional, and biplane DARA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DARA was statistically significantly superior in dose area product, fluoroscopy time, amount of contrast used, and procedure time. These reductions ranged between 12 (contrast used) and 71% (procedure time).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The advantages of such systems are obvious to both patient and healthcare provider, and DARA may prove to be an important and useful tool in the refinement of diagnostic coronary angiography by reducing patient contrast and radiation doses and reducing procedure time.
authors: Cardiac Catheterisation Suite, Mater Dei Hospital, Malta. victor.e.grech@gov
authors: Marvin
authors: M
authors: Grech
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Debono
authors: Robert G
authors: RG
authors: Xuereb
authors: Albert
authors: A
authors: Fenech
authors: Victor
authors: V
authors: Grech
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol; D008297:Male; D008319:Malta; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol