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March 2009 Blog Posts (31)

Simple solution could cut long MRI wait times in Canada

March 11, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. Simple solution could cut long MRI wait times in Canada By H.A. Abella Referring physicians and MR imaging centers in Canada could substantially reduce wait times by sticking to standard rules dictating scanning priorities and appropriate clinical indications. Trouble is, according to a study from the University of Calgary, those guidelines already exist but few pay heed. As the U.S. enters its first serious debate on healthcare reform in more than a decade,… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on March 11, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Report from ECR: Imaging checklist holds key to hepatocellular carcinoma prediction

March 10, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. Report from ECR: Imaging checklist holds key to hepatocellular carcinoma prediction By Paula Gould Mountaineering metaphors provided the framework for Sunday's Josef Lissner honorary lecture: Ode to the liver. "The liver, in my opinion, is for radiologists what the Matterhorn is for alpinists. It is a sort of litmus test for measuring your skills," said Prof. Carlo Bartolozzi, chair of radiology at the University of Pisa in Italy. Bartolozzi began by… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on March 10, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Report from ECR: Correct modality choice proves essential in head and neck trauma

March 9, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. Report from ECR: Correct modality choice proves essential in head and neck trauma By Philip Ward CT and MRI have a vital part to play in cases of head and neck trauma, but it is important to know which modality to use under the clinical circumstances, according to speakers at Friday's opening session of the minicourse on major trauma. CT has high sensitivity for mass effects, ventricular configuration, bone injuries, and acute hemorrhage, and it is rapid,… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on March 9, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

FDA Public Health Advisory: Risk of Burns during MRI Scans from Transdermal Drug Patches with Metallic Backings

FDA Public Health Advisory

Risk of Burns during MRI Scans from Transdermal Drug Patches with Metallic Backings

http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/advisory/transdermalpatch.htm

The FDA has been made aware of information about certain transdermal patches (medicated patches applied to the skin) that contain aluminum or other metals in the backing of the patches. Patches that contain metal can overheat during an MRI scan and cause skin burns in the immediate area of the… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 8, 2009 at 6:48pm — No Comments

ACR Radiation Subcommittee Chair and Director of Research Elected to Serve on National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement

Reston, Va. – Beth A. Schueler, Ph.D., chair of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Subcommittee on Relative Radiation Exposure and Dose, Associate Professor Radiology, Medical Physics Division, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minn., and ACR Director of Research Mythreyi Bhargavan, Ph.D. have been elected to serve a six-year term on the council of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP).

There are 100 elected members of the Council, who are recognized as leaders in… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 8, 2009 at 3:31pm — No Comments

Healthcare consumers receive dose of Image Gently

March 6, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. Healthcare consumers receive dose of Image Gently By H.A. Abella The Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging has developed a new set of Image Gently brochures for distribution in physicians' offices to help parents appreciate the risks and benefits of medical imaging and to track their children's imaging histories. The initiative adds a new dimension to the alliance. Since its formation in January 2008, the alliance has reached out to technologists,… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on March 6, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Report from ECR: Studies suggest new value for digital breast tomosynthesis

March 6, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. Report from ECR: Studies suggest new value for digital breast tomosynthesis By John C. Hayes Digital breast tomosynthesis was found to be superior to 2D digital mammography for determining tumor boundaries, a value at a time when more women with breast cancer are choosing breast conservation therapy, according to a study presented Friday. Another study concluded that tomosynthesis can be combined with standard 2D breast imaging to provide a more complete scan.… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on March 6, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

New payment formula proposes Medicare cuts for high-tech imaging

March 5, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. New payment formula proposes Medicare cuts for high-tech imaging By James Brice A new formula proposed by the influential Medicare Payment Advisory Commission for calculating practice expense relative value units could cut technical payments for MRI, CT, and PET from the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule by as much as 44%. In its annual report to Congress, MedPAC recommended doubling the assumed utilization rate for calculating practice expense RVUs for the… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on March 5, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Potential clinical and economic benefits of low-contrast-dose CT (Featured Applied Radiology Article)

For full article,

please visit our publishing partner, Applied Radiology Potential clinical and economic benefits of low-contrast-dose CT angiography - Dr. Teague is an Assistant Professor of Radiology, Department of Radiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis,… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 3, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

Risks outweigh benefits for low back pain imaging

March 2, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. Risks outweigh benefits for low back pain imaging By Greg Freiherr Low back pain is so common a complaint that physicians increasingly are recommending against invasive therapy for any but the most serious cases. This approach has led researchers to back up a step in patient management and crunch the numbers behind the imaging procedures that are done to assess and monitor this condition. It's not good news for radiology. Based on meta-analyses of research… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on March 2, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Soaring CT-based radiation exposure points at self-referral

March 2, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. Soaring CT-based radiation exposure points at self-referral By H.A. Abella The U.S. population underwent seven times as much ionizing radiation exposure from medical imaging in 2006 as it did in 1987, mainly from CT, according to a study released at the 2009 National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements in Bethesda, MD. Overutilization due to self-referral appears to bear some blame. Findings of the NCRP report No. 160, released March 3, serve as… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on March 2, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments