Ask HRC: Scope of Practice for Cardiovascular Stereotaxis

Healthcare Risk Control was recently contacted by a member hospital with questions about the scope of practice for a procedure called cardiovascular stereotaxis, which uses magnetic catheter navigation to improve on conventional techniques for maneuvering catheters through blood vessels. The magnetic catheters are more maneuverable than manually directed catheters because they are pulled rather than pushed through vessels.

For catheter control, the technology employs two computer-controlled, permanent, external magnets that manipulate magnetic fields to direct and control guidewire- and catheter-based devices through the vasculature. The interventional workstation is designed to allow a physician to maneuver the catheter using a joystick from a control room, which may...