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Questions Answered

Manual sheath removal and post care

I was wondering if there is any educational information you could recommend that I could share with my ICU and Telemetry units to help them to be more proficient in this area.

Thank you,
Margaret Frank
Email: robertfrank@citlink.net
Cc: cathlabdigest@aol.com

Dear Ms. Frank,

Since an article published in 1974, I have used the “CompressAR” device for holding groins. It has been extremely safe and useful in my hands. I cannot remember a serious problem in using it. It works well even in obese patients — when used according to my rules and regs, which were published in a “Letter to the Editor” in Cath Lab Digest a few years back.

Please access the letter at: https://www.cathlabdigest.com/article/4207. Be sure to look at both pages. Feel free to call me if you have any questions regarding the long list of rules for successful use, especially if others make adverse comments about the device when you mention them. I’ve heard them all.

The company that sells the device has an instructional video on the web, but frankly it leaves out several very important things. Compare them and you'll see what I mean.

Good luck. I hope that reading the letter will be of some value in your search.

Sincerely,

G. David Dixon, MD, FACR, FSIR, FAHA
Retired Interventional Radiologist still doing occasional Locums
10416 Mohawk Lane
Leawood, Kansas
Email: cvdgnomes@aol.com

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New Question!

Registered cardiovascular invasive specialist (RCIS) credential

Greetings,

My name is Kory Briggs and I am an RCIS working at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, MD. Recently, I have begun a crusade in Maryland trying to gain support for the RCIS in our fight to be able to utilize and manipulate radiation equipment under the supervision of our diagnostic or interventional cardiologist. We have met a lot of resistance in the fight from government boards and I need help. I want to know if there is any other state where the RCIS has successfully fought for this privilege. I have gained minor support from two of my state representatives and am trying to get pointed in the right direction. Could somebody please respond to me and join my cause? My desire is not to remove other credentials from the cath lab, just to be considered equals. Currently, we all feel like second-class staff with a higher level of education, and patient care quality is suffering.

Thank you,

J. Kory Briggs, RCIS
St. Joseph Medical Center
Towson, MD 21204
410-337-1663
jbriggs7036@stevenson.edu