New Scanning Technique to detect Kids with Weak Hearts

Cardiologists at the Royal Brompton Hospital have developed a new technique of medical scanning that can spot the children that have weak hearts and are at a risk of a sudden death. The scan shows the heart scar tissue giving the doctors an important sign of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM). DCM is a condition in which the heart becomes weak and enlarged and is not able to pump blood efficiently. In the process Doctors inject a dye called gadolinium into the veins of the patients and then follow the dye with a MRI scan. This enables the doctors to find the scar tissue and determine whether a kid is in need of an immediate medical care or not. This technique will be a breakthrough in cardiac science and will be able to save the lives of many kids who are born with this defect of the heart.