Caths at 3.4 million last year

Total cardiac catheterization procedure volumes grew by 13% from 1996 to 1997, according to a report by Technology Marketing Group in Des Plaines, IL. Of last year's 3.4 million procedures performed at 1,790 labs, more than half were done in 400-plus-bed hospitals. Three million were cardiac-related, and of those, 550,000 combined both diagnostic testing and interventional therapy, 1.67 million were diagnostic caths, and 520,000 were interventional procedures - primarily angioplasties. Eleven percent were noncardiac procedures.

The volume of combined studies grew five-fold from 1993 to 1995 and continued to grow 36% from 1995 to 1997. Diagnostic procedures declined from 1993 to 1995 but increased in 1997.

The report was based on census surveys of more than 1,600 respondent cath labs and catalogs site-specific information about procedure volume by type (cardiac/noncardiac, adult/pediatric, inpatient/outpatient) installed equipment, staffing levels, equipment purchase plans, capital expenditures, and use of supplies such as contrast agents and film.