An audit of the establishment of a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging service in a public tertiary hospital setting in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

INTRODUCTION

cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is considered the standard of care for many clinical cardiovascular applications. Magnetic resonance imaging is a scarce resource in sub-Saharan Africa, with a paucity of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging clinical services and research. The aim of this audit was to review the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging service provided at a public tertiary hospital in Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa.

METHODS

a retrospective, descriptive audit via quantitative record review of Tygerberg Hospital´s cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging service was conducted from the inception thereof on 1 April 2015 up to 31 October 2022.

RESULTS

a total of 1,403 cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging scans met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of the study population was 43 years, and 52% were female. The most common patient comorbidities were modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension (22%; n=306), cigarette smoking (9.6%; n=134), diabetes mellitus type II (6.7%; n=94) and dyslipidaemia (4.4%; n=62). Sixty-three percent (n=888) of scans were performed after hours. In 93% of scans, intravenous gadolinium-based contrast agents were administered. Nonischaemic cardiomyopathy dominated the indications (56.7%; n=976) and final diagnosis (42%; n=589). The most common incidental extracardiac finding was hilar or mediastinal lymphadenopathy (6%; n=82).

CONCLUSION

the recently established, functional cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging service at Tygerberg Hospital serves a unique patient population with a comparatively differently distributed cardiac disease spectrum, contributing to research diversity.