AP Cardiology: The End of PCI?

— In this podcast, cardiologists discuss the recent ORBITA trial

MedicalToday

Near the beginning of residency, I went out mountain biking on a day off. I was going to spend about an hour in the car getting to and from the trailhead. Before the drive, I looked for a podcast to listen to, and tried to find a series that addressed common scenarios I encountered on the wards. I couldn't find one I liked. I wanted a podcast like Radiolab, but for medicine, where a case-based question is presented and you get in-depth information from experts. I wanted to learn about the history behind current practice patterns, and the limitations to what we know. Since it didn't exist, I decided to create one.

"AP Cardiology" is a podcast for the internist who wants to learn more about cardiology. The focus will be on common questions internists have and will be based on real cases. Some episodes will be a debate regarding management of a patient. Other episodes will be discussing the frontiers of cardiology research.

Cardiology is a fascinating field with decades of basic science and clinical research shaping the current state of practice. By interviewing experts, that history will be synthesized into digestible pieces, and improve the understanding of why we do what we do. By listening to the podcast, practicing physicians and trainees will see how prior cardiovascular research has shaped current practice patterns, gain greater understanding of the current state of practice and get a glimpse of the future trajectory.

Currently, I am a resident physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. Acknowledgements go to the Division of Medical Education at Washington University School of Medicine and for sponsoring the podcast.

In this episode, I visit with David L Brown, MD, and Richard Bach, MD, to discuss the recently published . Brown co-authored the that accompanied ORBITA's publication, and Bach is an interventional cardiologist who has some reservations about the trial's interpretation. Some have considered ORBITA to signal the end of stenting for stable angina, but Brown and Bach discuss important considerations concerning the study design and how this study fits into the existing literature.

, is a resident physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.