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CATHETERIZATION LABORATORY  (CATH LAB)
                       (By: Ramoncito B. Tria, M.D)

        Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality in the Philippines in both men and women.  Coronary artery disease also called coronary heart disease, is a condition where in plaque develops inside the coronary arteries.  These arteries supply the heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood.  Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances found in the blood.  When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis.  Plaque narrows the arteries and decreases the blood flow to your heart muscle, It also makes it more likely that blood clots will form in your arteries.  Blood clots can partially or completely block blood flow.  There  are   different diagnostic modalities to diagnose CAD. These are categorized as non-invasive and the  invasive procedures.  X-ray,  ECG (Electrocardiography), 2-D  Echocardiography, Thallium Scan and Stress Testing are the non invasive ways to diagnose CAD. These tests are the initial steps in the diagnosis of CAD.  Eventually, those patients in which there is a high likelihood of coronary artery disease will need an invasive diagnostic procedure which is that of coronary angiography.  This procedure is done in a cardiac catheterization laboratory.
        The function  of  the cardiac catheterization laboratory  has advanced from study of cardiac function and anatomy for purposes of diagnosis towards screening of candidates for surgery and ultimately to providing catheter-based, non-surgical interventional treatment.  These developments have called for an increased demand for cardiac, catheterization services.
         Through time and up to the present, cardiac  catheterization laboratories are recognized for excellence in  physiologically  oriented and anatomically precise diagnosis. These laboratories as very sick patients, who received care with a very favourable cost-benefit ratio.  In fact, these factors led to the conclusion that catheterization laboratory evaluation of the middle-aged man with chest pain was the most efficient initial step in management of such patients (Allen et.al., 1991).
          With definitive diagnosis and minimal intervention to treat CAD, patients can have shorter hospital stays, which equalizes to lower hospital bills, less risks and complications compared  to other treatment modalities available, and an optimal quality of life. Cardiac Catheterization is a general term used for a group of imaging procedures that involve the insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart. Once the catheter is in place, it can be used to perform a number of investigational and therapeutic procedures such as coronary angiography, angioplasty and balloon valvuloplasty.