CSANZ Admin Podcasts

Patricia M. Davidson Lecture

The Cardiovascular Nursing Council submitted a proposal for the Board’s consideration to re-name the Cardiovascular Nursing Lecture in honour of Prof Patricia Davidson and it was unanimously approved at the Board meeting on 3 November 2023.

The Cardiovascular Nursing named lecture, presented prior to the Cardiovascular Nursing Prize session at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cardiovascular Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ), will now be named the Patricia M. Davidson Lecture, in recognition of Professor Davidson’s considerable contribution to the nursing profession in Australia, internationally and to CSANZ.

Throughout her career, Professor Davidson has been focussed on mentoring the next generation of health professionals and scientists. In 2016, she was the first nurse to receive the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers. Prof Davidson has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Health & Medical Research Council, and the Australian Research Council. She has received multiple awards in recognition of her contributions to cardiovascular care and nursing. In 2021 she was the recipient of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Distinguished Leader Award and the 2021 Advance Awards winner in the Education and Research category.

Prof Patricia Davidson was appointed Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Wollongong in May 2021. Prior to this current role, she was the dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore, USA and a professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her career has focused on improving the outcomes of individuals with chronic illness and developing policy relevant health interventions. As a global leader in nursing, health care, and advocacy, Prof Davidson’s work focuses on person-centred care delivery and the improvement of cardiovascular health outcomes for women and at risk populations.

Prof Davidson has been instrumental to developing the leading cardiovascular nurse researchers in Australia to improve cardiovascular health of their communities. She is committed to mentoring the next generation of research leaders across many disciplines. 

Through her research career, she has supervised more than 56 doctoral students. She has over 700 publications, a large number are published with students, mentees, clinical collaborators and fellow nurse scientists, many of whom are former students or mentees.

CSANZ Admin CSANZ Education

Dr Seshika Ratwatte ESC 2023 Travelling Fellowship Report

Dr Seshika Ratwatte, PhD Student University of Sydney and Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellow at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney.

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to travel to the ESC Congress 2023 in Amsterdam with the support of a CSANZ Travelling Fellowship!
I am in my second year of PhD through the University of Sydney and am the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellow at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. I was very excited to attend and present at my first in-person, major, international conference! I had not had the opportunity prior due to the COVID hiatus.

I enjoyed the opportunity to present parts of my PhD at the conference, with four abstracts accepted as moderated e-poster presentations. These abstracts utilised data from the National Echo Database of Australia and related to pulmonary hypertension in left heart disease, specifically cohorts with significant i) aortic regurgitation, ii) aortic stenosis, iii) mitral regurgitation and iv) reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Each project showed a graded and independent relationship between the severity of raised pulmonary pressures and subsequent mortality – even at low levels.

The chance to meet and hear from leaders across different cardiology sub-specialties was a highlight for me. I learnt very early in the conference that if you wanted to get a seat in a big session you had to arrive at least 20 minutes in advance! The volume and quality of research presented was unlike what I’ve previously experienced and was certainly motivating for me to expand my network and research moving forwards.

I’d like to thank my PhD supervisor Professor David Celermajer for his guidance, support and encouragement with my research. Many thanks also go to my NEDA collaborators and to CSANZ for their support of me presenting at this meeting!

Seshika’s abstracts presented can be found on the ESC365 links below:

Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in reduced left ventricular systolic function and its influence on outcomes https://esc365.escardio.org/presentation/269615

Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in aortic regurgitation and its influence on outcomes

https://esc365.escardio.org/presentation/267031

Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in mitral regurgitation and its influence on outcomes

https://esc365.escardio.org/presentation/269409

CSANZ Admin Member News

2024 ESC European Exam in Core Cardiology (EECC)

CSANZ is facilitating the 2024 ESC European Exam in Core Cardiology (EECC) for Australian and New Zealand cardiology advanced trainees.

The EECC will be held online on Tuesday, 18 June 2024.

The exam is aimed at third year trainees however, second year trainees may also sit the exam. Participation in the exam is completely voluntary and the results do not have any bearing on the completion of your training or obtaining the FRACP.

The course provides key content that has been specifically selected from within the ESC Education section and ESC365 including webinars, congress presentations, ESC guidelines, relevant clinical studies etc.  In addition, the course includes a mock exam for candidates to practice using the examination software.

To register to sit the exam, please complete and return the linked registration form no later than Friday, 23 February, 2024.

If you have any questions regarding the exam, please don’t hesitate to contact the CSANZ Secretariat on +61 2 9226 7900 or email: [email protected]

CSANZ Admin Member News

Revised CTCA Training Guidelines

Over the last 12 months the Parent Bodies and Conjoint Committee for CTCA Training Guidelines have reviewed and approved changes to the requirements for CTCA recognition.

The changes come into effect on 1 July 2024 and can be found on the CTCA Recognition of Training Guidelines website.

A separate email will be sent to you confirming when these changes apply to you. If you have any queries you may have after checking the website, please contact [email protected]

CSANZ Admin Member News

New and amended PBS listings implemented on 1 Dec 2023

Update to Safety Net Early Supply Rule for 60-day prescriptions of PBS medicines.

Following the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee’s recommendation, from 1 December 2023, the PBS Safety Net early supply rule will be updated to a 50 day interval (currently 20 days) to discourage stockpiling and reduce the quantity of unused medicines in the community.

The early supply interval for the following 3 items will be updated on 1 January 2024:
• 13550E / nicorandil 10 mg tablet, 60
• 13551F / nicorandil 20 mg tablet, 60
• 13552G / moxonidine 400 microgram tablet, 30

Changes to Online PBS Authorities system
When you use the Services Australia Online PBS Authority system, you will notice changes to the way the system looks and performs – it has improved functionality with the latest updates being made in December 2023. For more information about the Online PBS Authorities system visit www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/hppbsauthorities

CSANZ Admin Member News

HLC | What’s in the DECEMBER 2023 edition?

Anticoagulation During PCI:  Is It Time for RCTs?

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) has been the preferred anticoagulant in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for over 40 years, say Al-Mukhtar and colleagues. Recently, they surveyed interventional cardiologists in Australia and New Zealand and found that, while this practice is indeed standard, there’s a lot of variation in not only how much (and when) UFH is used in PCI, but also whether (and when) activated clotting time is measured. Al-Mukhtar et al. say their survey results reflect variations in international guidelines and the findings of past studies and meta-analyses. They call for further randomised controlled trials to guide clinical practice and optimise the clinical outcomes of contemporary PCI. https://www.heartlungcirc.org/article/S1443-9506(23)04362-7/fulltext

Sudden Death in the Young:  Autopsies for Underlying Causes?

One in four cases of young sudden death have more than one potential primary cause of their death identified, according to Paratz and colleagues. In an analysis of 3 years of data from the End Unexplained Cardiac Death (EndUCD) Registry, they determined, among other things, that comprehensive autopsy remains the gold standard investigation in this circumstance, complemented by other data such as, from post-mortem whole-body CT scanning, and biochemical and toxicological assessment. Paratz et al. say identifying all contributors to a sudden death is important, especially as diagnoses may carry important implications for surviving family members.  https://www.heartlungcirc.org/article/S1443-9506(23)04398-6/fulltext

After SCAD: What Could Standard Care in Recovery Look Like?

Not only physical but also emotional recovery is important for patients after spontaneous coronary artery dissection. So say Turner and colleagues, who conducted a comprehensive literature review that identified, and then examined the findings of, five studies involving 447 patients after SCAD. They suggest that the ideal recovery program would reflect the patients’ preference for tailored cardiac rehabilitation and web-based resources, both specifically designed for SCAD. For example, with respect to emotional recovery, cognitive behavioural therapy-based groups and online peer support have been shown to benefit patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) and could be integrated into standard care.  https://www.heartlungcirc.org/article/S1443-9506(23)04367-6/fulltext

These highlights and more are available online now in the December 2023 edition of Heart, Lung and Circulation.

CSANZ Admin News Archive

MBS UPDATES: Two New Diagnostic imaging services

Commencing 1 July 2024, two new diagnostic imaging MBS abdominal MRI items will be available for patients with a defined rare inherited condition associated with an increased risk of renal tumours, as well as ongoing assessment of changes over time to an existing renal tumour. This implements a recommendation from the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC):

MSAC – 1702 – Abdominal MRI for rare genetic conditions associated with increased risk of renal tumours

The MBS listing for cardiac MRI for myocarditis associated with mRNA COVID-19 immunisation (Item 63399) has been extended until 31 December 2024. MSAC is currently considering cardiac MRI in the diagnosis of myocarditis more broadly, which is anticipated to be considered in April 2024:

MSAC – 1713 – Cardiac MRI in the diagnosis of myocarditis.

CSANZ Admin Notice Board

Heart Failure Research Review: Issue 82, with commentary by Dr Mark Nolan

In this issue:

  • Loop + thiazide diuretics for acute HF across eGFR spectrum
  • Dapagliflozin for HF and deteriorating renal function
  • Repurposing mirabegron for structural cardiac disease
  • Natriuresis-guided diuretic therapy in acute HF
  • Novel HF progression pathways
  • Eliminating CaMKIIδ autophosphorylation improves HF survival and cardiac function
  • GLS predicts clinical outcomes in HFPEF
  • Intra-aortic entrainment pump for acute decompensated HF + cardiorenal syndrome
  • Health and economic evaluation of sacubitril-valsartan in HF management
  • Association of smartwatch- measured activity with patient- reported outcomes for HF

Download the Heart_Failure_Research_Review_Issue_82 with commentary by Dr Mark Nolan.

CSANZ Admin Device Alerts

Boston Scientific Model 3120 Zoom(TM) programmer (December 2023)

Incorrect dates are displayed on certain pacemaker models using the Model 3120 Zoom (TM) programmer following January 10, 2024.

ANZCDACC management recommendations for Boston Scientific Zoom programmer alert (December 2023)

Download pdf here

Device:

Boston Scientific Model 3120 ZoomTM Programmer running software Model 2892

TGA Reference:  RC-2023-RN-01030-1

Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG):  123599

Medsafe Notification Reference:  32214

Advisory grade TGA:  Class II

Read More
CSANZ Admin News Archive

Heart, Lung and Circulation December Highlights

Here’s a snapshot of some of the most recent Heart, Lung and Circulation Journal articles for December 2023.

Anticoagulation During PCI:  Is It Time for RCTs?

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) has been the preferred anticoagulant in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for over 40 years, say Al-Mukhtar and colleagues. Recently, they surveyed interventional cardiologists in Australia and New Zealand and found that, while this practice is indeed standard, there’s a lot of variation in not only how much (and when) UFH is used in PCI, but also whether (and when) activated clotting time is measured. Al-Mukhtar et al. say their survey results reflect variations in international guidelines and the findings of past studies and meta-analyses. They call for further randomised controlled trials to guide clinical practice and optimise the clinical outcomes of contemporary PCI. https://www.heartlungcirc.org/article/S1443-9506(23)04362-7/fulltext 

Sudden Death in the Young:  Autopsies for Underlying Causes?

One in four cases of young sudden death have more than one potential primary cause of their death identified, according to Paratz and colleagues. In an analysis of 3 years of data from the End Unexplained Cardiac Death (EndUCD) Registry, they determined, among other things, that comprehensive autopsy remains the gold standard investigation in this circumstance, complemented by other data such as, from post-mortem whole-body CT scanning, and biochemical and toxicological assessment. Paratz et al. say identifying all contributors to a sudden death is important, especially as diagnoses may carry important implications for surviving family members.  https://www.heartlungcirc.org/article/S1443-9506(23)04398-6/fulltext

After SCAD: What Could Standard Care in Recovery Look Like?

Not only physical but also emotional recovery is important for patients after spontaneous coronary artery dissection. So say Turner and colleagues, who conducted a comprehensive literature review that identified, and then examined the findings of, five studies involving 447 patients after SCAD. They suggest that the ideal recovery program would reflect the patients’ preference for tailored cardiac rehabilitation and web-based resources, both specifically designed for SCAD. For example, with respect to emotional recovery, cognitive behavioural therapy-based groups and online peer support have been shown to benefit patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) and could be integrated into standard care.  https://www.heartlungcirc.org/article/S1443-9506(23)04367-6/fulltext

These highlights and more are available online now in the December 2023 edition of Heart, Lung and Circulation.

Compiled by Dr Ann Gregory, Commissioning Editor, Heart, Lung and Circulation.  ([email protected])

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