Audit of Cardiac MRI Service in South Africa
Author Information
Author(s): Carien van Schalkwyk, Beulah Christina van Zyl, Phillipus George Herbst, Christelle Ackermann
Primary Institution: Tygerberg Hospital, Stellenbosch University
Hypothesis
What are the characteristics and diagnostic impacts of the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging service at Tygerberg Hospital?
Conclusion
The cardiac magnetic resonance imaging service at Tygerberg Hospital effectively serves a unique patient population with a different distribution of cardiac diseases.
Supporting Evidence
- 1,403 cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging scans were included in the study.
- 63% of scans were performed after hours to maximize imaging capacity.
- Nonischaemic cardiomyopathy was the most common final diagnosis, accounting for 42% of cases.
- 38% of patients had incidental extracardiac findings related to cardiac failure.
Takeaway
This study looked at how a heart imaging service works in a South African hospital and found it helps many patients with different heart problems.
Methodology
A retrospective, descriptive audit via quantitative record review of CMR scans from April 2015 to October 2022.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to referrals from the Department of Cardiology.
Limitations
The study is based on a single institution, which may limit generalizability.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 43 years, with 52% female.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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