Optimisation of Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Optimisation of Myocardial Perfusion Imaging with Resolution Recovery Software
IRAS ID
172559
Contact name
Lynne Webster
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study will compare a new method of completing a nuclear medicine heart scan against the method currently used. Based on preliminary work, it is hoped this method will improve the technique used to complete heart scans in this department in the future. The study will recruit patients that have been referred to the department for a heart scan as a part of their normal management. In order to test the new method we need to scan these patients using both methods sequentially. A doctor will then report the scans without knowing which method was used for each set of images. Any changes in the reports produced will be compared. This is therefore a feasibility study with the aim of clinically validating the new method. If this study finds the technique to be feasible then this will justify further more extensive work to be completed involving a greater number of patients.
There are two possible benefits of the new method. Firstly, the time it takes to complete a heart scan could be reduced. This would help patients that find it very uncomfortable to lie flat or are nervous and will increase patient throughput. The second benefit is that the amount of radioactivity required to image the blood flow to the heart could be reduced. This would reduce the radiation dose for each patient as well as to staff working with the patient. Worldwide shortages in the supply of the radioactivity used are expected at the end of 2015 and in 2016. As a result of this it is known that the cost of these materials will increase. Therefore reducing the quantity of radioactivity required for the study would improve the resilience of our heart scan service in times of shortages and counteract the increased costs.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0816
Date of REC Opinion
27 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion