Methodological approach

Application in cardiology and internal medicine of our research team’s experience in the field of cardiac and vascular ecography, interventional cardiology and electrophysiology:

• Transthoracic ecography (standard, tissue Doppler, Speckle Tracking,  3D)
• 2D and 3D Transesophageal ecography
• Vascular ecography (including e-tracking, wave intensity and flow-mediated dilatation)
• Cardio-pulmonary effort test
• Interventional treatment of acute coronary syndromes
• Interventional treatment of cardiac arrhythmias
• Interventional treatment of cardiac insufficiency (resynchronization therapy)
• Identification of diagnostic, prognostic and predictive factors for cardiac dysfunction in systemic diseases etc.

Infrastructure

• The echocardiography laboratory is one of the most prestigious in Romania (16 echocardiography specialists in the country and abroad, for complete evaluation for clinical and research purposes of cardiac and vascular function); European accreditation since 2011.
• The laboratory of coronary angiography has has a high capacity of diagnosis of coronary pathology (intravascular ecography, optical coherence tomography, fractioned and coronary flow reserve estimation ) and interventional treatment of structural cardiac diseases.
• The laboratory of electrophysiology and intra-cardiac devices: equipped with angiograph and conventional and electro-anatomic mapping system – in order to implant the cardiac anti-bradycardia pace-makers, cardiac resynchronization devices, internal defibrillators; as well as for simple and complex ablations.

The following equipment is available for research projects:

• VIVID 7, VIVID 9 as well as portable VIVID I echocardiographs, GE Medical System (with 2D and 3D probes and transesophageal echography, equipped with software for 2D, spectral and color Doppler, TVI, Q analysis, 2D speckle tracking, 3D MultiPlan echography), Aloka α10  (with cardiac and vascular ultrasound probes, equipped with specific software of interpretation);
• High-capacity server for storage and analysis of all ultrasound data;
• Complior System for assessing wave pulse velocity;
• Arteriograph System to determine central aortic pressure and pulse wave velocity;
• GE/Cortex cardio-pulmonary effort test;
• Ambulatory monitoring device for blood pulse and ECG;
• Portable electrocardiograph;
• Computer network with dedicated software for statistical analysis;
• Siemens Angiography– hybrid room;
• Siemens Angiography - Artis Zee;
• Electro-anatomic system for electro-physiology NavX EnSite Velocity;
• Electro-anatomic system for electro-physiology CARTO 3;
• Electro-physiology system GE Prucka;

The completed grants with internal financing have aimed to develop a center specialized in the early diagnosis of subclinical cardiac dysfunction in populations at risk, to assess by using the echocardiograph the acute hypertensive pulmonary edema, to quantify the cardiac and vascular subclinical dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis, to develop a modern research base for cardiac insufficiency and arrhythmia, to develop a national register of pharmacologically active stents, to compare the Indapamida SR 1.5 mg with Hidroclortiazidum 25mg, in combination with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, in patients with mild-moderate hypertension and type II diabetes (AISHA study), to create a sleep laboratory specialized in assessing the cardiac diseases associated with sleep disorders.; evaluation of the extension of cardiac and vascular dysfunction in systemic diseases, such as liver cirrhosis, multiple sclerosis or scleroderma.

International multi-center studies include different types of modern treatment for acute coronary syndromes, cardiac insufficiency, arrhythmia, hypertension, as well as for primary and secondary prophylaxis in patients with ischemic cardiac disease.