Radiology MOC

Cardiac CT is safe, accurate, and cost-effective in low-risk patients presenting (more)

Healthcare reform and the growing adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) (more)

A softer global healthcare market affected by decreased utilization and increased (more)

A study suggests that prepubertal overweight children with prediabetes may be at risk for poor skeletal development and that greater levels of central adiposity may be harmful to developing bone.
Medscape Medical News

Pulmonary artery hypertension is the most frequent cause of death in scleroderma patients, and its early identification is the best means of improving survival.
Cardiovascular Ultrasound

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Southern Medical Journal

The U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (more)

Speech recognition and transcription technology provider MedQuist has paid (more)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Aug 24 - Rectal cancer rates may be on the rise (more)

South African mammography developer CapeRay Medical has received $2 million (more)

Lantheus Medical Imaging has resumed the manufacture of its TechneLite technetium-99m (more)

This brief review discusses the usefulness of ultrasound to assess central venous pressure in patients with suspected hypovolemia.
AccessMedicine from McGraw-Hill

Abstract Objective  High resolution computed tomography is widely used to investigate patients with suspected diffuse lung disease. Numerous studies have assessed the diagnostic performance of this investigation, but the diagnostic and therapeutic impacts have received little attention. Methods  The diagnostic and therapeutic impacts of high resolution computed tomography in routine clinical practice were evaluated prospectively. All 507 referrals for high-resolution computed tomography over 12 months in two centres were included. Requesting clinicians completed questionnaires before and after the investigation detailing clinical indications, working diagnoses, confidence level in each diagnosis, planned investigations and treatments. Results  Three hundred and fifty-four studies on 347 patients had complete data and were available for analysis. Following high-resolution computed tomography, a new leading diagnosis (the diagnosis with the highest confidence level) emerged in 204 (58%) studies; in 166 (47%) studies the new leading diagnosis was not in the original differential diagnosis. Mean confidence in the leading diagnosis increased from 6.7 to 8.5 out of 10 (p < 0.001). The invasiveness of planned investigations increased in 23 (7%) studies and decreased in 124 (35%) studies. The treatment plan was modified after 319 (90%) studies. Conclusions  Thoracic high-resolution computed tomography alters leading diagnosis, increases diagnostic confidence, and frequently changes investigation and management plans.

• Content Type Journal Article
• DOI 10.1007/s00330-010-1923-3
• Authors
  • Nicholas J. Screaton, Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ UK
  • Fiona N. A. C. Miller, Department of Radiology, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust, Hardwick Lane, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 2QZ UK
  • Bipen D. Patel, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5DN UK
  • Ashley Groves, Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT UK
  • Angela D. Tasker, Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ UK
  • David A. Lomas, Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB0 2XY UK
  • Christopher D. R. Flower, Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ UK

• Journal European Radiology
• Online ISSN 1432-1084
• Print ISSN 0938-7994

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Dr. Joe Lex explains how to use existing cervical spine rules to evaluate cervical spine injury in trauma patients -- no radiation required.
Medscape Emergency Medicine

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