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Jason Merrill
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January 7, 2008, ST. LOUIS – Using new diagnostic technology, heart specialists at Barnes-Jewish Hospital now can diagnose problems in parts of the heart they were not able to see before.

Last winter, Barnes-Jewish''s cardiac diagnostic lab began performing echocardiograms using new technology for cardiology patients, giving physicians improved diagnostic capability.

"It''s like going from a TV set you bought ten years ago, to a high definition/resolution digital set you can get today," says Bob Karsch, manager of the cardiac diagnostic lab at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "It''s the latest generation of technology."

An echocardiogram is a test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the heart''s structure and function. Traditional technology gives sonographers who perform the test a 2D picture. However, in the case of cardiology patients who suffer from problems such as valvular heart disease, congestive heart failure or hereditary troubles, a more accurate picture can be attained using the 3D technology available on the new system.

"It allows us to expand into other areas of the heart," says Jeanette St. Vrain, RDCS, chief cardiac sonographer at Barnes-Jewish. "The technology can measure what we can''t see with our own eyes."

The new technology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine is another advance for heart care services ranked among the best in the nation by US News & World Report, with a placement of number ten in the country in the 2007 "Best Hospitals" issue.

Barnes-Jewish''s cardiac diagnostic lab is one of only a few in the St. Louis area accredited by the American Society of Echocardiography (ICAEL) and Barnes-Jewish''s heart program overall is one of only seventeen in the nation with better than average heart attack outcomes according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).