IV informe de actividad y recursos de la Asociación de Imagen Cardiaca de la Sociedad Española de Cardiología (2022)

Abstract

Introduction and objectives

The 2022 Registry of the Cardiovascular Imaging Association of the Spanish Society of Cardiology is presented.

Methods

67 Spanish hospitals were invited to participate in the registry. Participation was voluntary and data collection was carried out through an online questionnaire. The questionnaire focused on data on resource endowment and activity.

Results

53 hospitals participated, most of them public (88.9%) and of typologies 3 or 4. The average number of cardiologists with preferential dedication to cardiac imaging was 4.2. A 38.9% of centers have imaging technicians. The availability of ultrasound machines and age indicates a trend towards better equipment and renewal. In 25.9% of centers, cardiologists only perform echocardiography, and 74.1% participate in at least one other modality (computed tomography [CT], magnetic resonance imaging, or nuclear medicine). The average annual activity was: 9590 echocardiograms, 516 magnetic resonance imaging, 631 CT scans and 607 nuclear medicine studies, with marked inter-center variability despite stratifying by hospital type. An increase in stress echo, transthoracic echocardiography in intervention and CT is observed. In 90% of centers, echocardiograms are performed by other specialties, especially in the form of echocardioscopy by the ICU and emergency services, and to a lesser extent internal medicine, anesthesiology and neurology.

Conclusions

The Spanish Cardiac Imaging Registry of 2022 allows us to know the current situation and temporal trend in terms of resources and activity, the differences between centers and identify potential areas of improvement for the future.