Australian Government - Department of Health and Ageing

Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC)

Application 1129

Second Generation Contrast Agents for Use in Patients with Suboptimal Echocardiograms

Application No.

1129

Application NameSecond Generation Contrast Agents for Use in Patients with Suboptimal Echocardiograms
Advisory PanelProfessor Ken Thomson
(Chair
(MSAC Member)
Assoc Prof John Atherton
(Deputy Chair)
(MSAC Member)
Ms Sheila Rimmer
(CHF nominee)
Mrs Roslyn Savage
(Australian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine nominee)
Dr Charles Weetman Lott
(RANZCR nominee)
Dr David Platts
(Cardiac Society of Australia & New Zealand Nominee)
Date Received by MSAC Secretariat28 April 2008
Stage 1 - EligibilityEligible
Stage 2 - AssessmentCompleted
Stage 3 - Formulation of Advice to the MinisterOn the strength of the available evidence for safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness:

MSAC supports public funding for the use of a second generation intravenous recirculating contrast agent in a patient undergoing a standard echocardiogram or stress echocardiogram which is suboptimal because:
two or more myocardial segments are poorly visualised or
assessments of structure and function require higher image quality to improve left ventricular endocardial border delineation.
(Indications 1 and 2)

MSAC does not support public funding for the use of second generation contrast agents for Doppler evaluation of the left heart. (Indication 3)

MSAC requested feedback from the Department after any implementation of this advice in order to verify the modelling assumptions used in this assessment.

Stage 4 - Decision
Noting of MSAC advice by the Minister does not constitute a final decision in relation to the provision of public funding		MSAC considered this assessment on 29 March 2010
The Minister noted MSAC's advice 2 June 2010
Stage 5 - ImplementationIn Progress