Connecting Radiology | Enabling collaboration and professional development

May 2008 Blog Posts (142)

New website discovery: RSNA RCollaboration

As the Internet evolves, we have discovered yet another new and exciting site for Radiology! Just like radRounds, RCollaboration offers many Web 2.0 social networking functions.

Attached below is a flyer for RCollaboration (http://www.rcollaboration.org). But in a nutshell...

"The goal of RCollaboration is to build a radiology learning community around content, conversations, and connections."

RCollaboration has two components:

1. Personal learning log -… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on May 31, 2008 at 8:00am — 1 Comment

If CT stumbles, blame Mom

May 30, 2008 If CT stumbles, blame Mom Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just as Old Faithful will gush like clockwork every hour on the hour, CT procedure volumes will grow year after year—or so I thought. Earlier this month, the Discovery Channel burst my bubble about Old Faithful, noting that the timing, length, and height of its eruptions vary from day to day, year to year. A scant few days after this geothermal epiphany, while… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 30, 2008 at 9:00pm — No Comments

FDA considers national breast cancer ablation registry

May 30, 2008 FDA considers national breast cancer ablation registry Shalmali Pal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A national registry for thermal ablation treatment for breast cancer is under consideration by the FDA. The agency opened a six-month public comment period this week on the proposed registry, which would compile information on all thermal ablation devices and therapies for small carcinomas. The FDA is looking to determine if a registry… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 30, 2008 at 9:00pm — No Comments

Thrall becomes American College of Radiology chair

May 29, 2008 Thrall becomes American College of Radiology chair H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. James H. Thrall, radiologist-in-chief at Massachusetts General Hospital, has been chosen as the new chair of the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors. He was appointed during the college's 2008 annual meeting in Washington, DC. Thrall, an ACR fellow and a professor of radiology at Harvard University, had just finished an… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 29, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

One-year mammographic follow-up recommendations fall short

May 28, 2008 One-year mammographic follow-up recommendations fall short Shalmali Pal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short-interval follow-up is most often suggested for women whose diagnostic mammograms are flagged as probably benign. But this second look at 12 months has a low sensitivity for detecting cancer, according to a study in the American Journal of Roentgenology. Erin Aiello Bowles and colleagues at several U.S. institutions evaluated… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 28, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Radiopaedia.org 2.0 goes live!

Finally the day has come... a brand new, shiny, user friendly Radiopaedia.org is now up and running. A couple of minor bugs are still cropping up, but the site is much better than the old version. Just like before,

registration is free and quick, and any logged-in user can edit articles and contribute content. What has taken the best part of 6 months is to make… Continue

Added by Frank Gaillard on May 28, 2008 at 7:30pm — 1 Comment

Study recommends standardized image reject methodology

May 27, 2008 Study recommends standardized image reject methodology Douglas Page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digital radiography systems are in common use for medical imaging, yet few studies have examined computed radiography quality performance in terms of reject rates. This lack is due primarily to difficulty in obtaining the data required to calculate reject statistics. "This problem has been further compounded by the lack of software… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 27, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Radiologists Need to “Image Gently” Attention to Decreasing CT Dose for Pediatric Patients is a Gift that Lasts a Lifetime

Radiologists Need to “Image Gently” Attention to Decreasing CT Dose for Pediatric Patients is a Gift that Lasts a Lifetime

As the Image Gently campaign shifts into high gear since its Jan. 22 launch, ACR officials report a “strong, positive reception” from its target audience: the nation’s physicians, radiologic technologists and medical physicists who serve a primary role in medical imaging.

The campaign is sponsored by the Alliance for Safety in Pediatric Imaging, whose… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on May 27, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Optic nerve sonography reliably indicates intracranial pressure

May 26, 2008 Optic nerve sonography reliably indicates intracranial pressure Wendy Despain -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ultrasound measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter can gauge intracranial pressure in patients who cannot tolerate invasive assessments. Sonography has proved useful in brain-injured pediatric patients, and a recent study confirmed that optic nerve sheath diameter correlates with intracranial pressure in adults with brain… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 26, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Medical Physicists Key to “Image Gently™” Success Campaign aimed at prudent pediatric imaging continues strong national push

Medical Physicists Key to “Image Gently™” Success Campaign aimed at prudent pediatric imaging continues strong national push

Since the Jan. 22 inauguration of the Image Gently™ campaign, the message from the four charter members of the Alliance for Safety in Pediatric Imaging — the Society for Pediatric Radiology, the ACR, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine — has been directed at the nation’s radiologists and… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on May 26, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments

“Image Gently” Pediatric Campaign Underway Educates Providers of Pediatric Imaging on the Need to “Child-Size” Radiation Dose

“Image Gently” Pediatric Campaign Underway Educates Providers of Pediatric Imaging on the Need to “Child-Size” Radiation Dose

On Jan. 22, 2008, the charter members of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging — the Society for Pediatric Radiology, the American College of Radiology, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine — launched the highly anticipated Image Gently campaign, a national initiative that will… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on May 25, 2008 at 1:48pm — 1 Comment

More Than 1,000 Imaging Providers Pledge to “Image Gently”

More Than 1,000 Imaging Providers Pledge to “Image Gently”

Since the Jan. 22 launch of the “Image Gently” campaign (www.imagegently.org), more than 1,000 imaging providers, representing more than 800 facilities nationwide, have taken the Image Gently pledge to reduce the radiation dose estimate used in the performance of computed tomography (CT) scans on children.

The Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging launched… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on May 25, 2008 at 1:40pm — 1 Comment

Regulation: the case for global harmony

May 23, 2008 Regulation: the case for global harmony Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Congress is scared. It should be. In deference to a global economy, U.S. safety regulators have allowed in tainted pet food, medical supplies, toothpaste, and toys. Now Congress is getting tough. Unfortunately, it's planning a solution that has a much simpler fix. Legislators are considering legislation, the FDA Globalization Act of 2008, which… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 23, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Fallen MRI pioneer’s legacy shines beyond the world of science

May 23, 2008 Fallen MRI pioneer’s legacy shines beyond the world of science H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When physicist and inventor Herman Yaggi Carr, Ph.D., died, his survivors remembered him in two ways: First and foremost, as a staunch pacifist and humanist. Second, as the unsung hero of MRI. Carr believed wholeheartedly in serendipity, humility, and world peace, said his daughter, Amanda C. Sozer, Ph.D. In a curious stroke of… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 23, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Angio embolization staunches GI hemorrhage when surgery fails

May 23, 2008 Angio embolization staunches GI hemorrhage when surgery fails Shalmali Pal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Angiographic embolization is deployed routinely for colonic hemorrhage and hemobilia, but it has received limited attention for treating upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding. An international group of surgeons and radiologists evaluated the safety and efficacy of angiographic embolization for GI hemorrhage and found that it can… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 23, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

radRounds is now over 520 members!

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on May 22, 2008 at 11:00pm — 8 Comments

CMS commences national coverage analysis for CT colonography

May 21, 2008 CMS commences national coverage analysis for CT colonography Shalmali Pal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is now accepting public comments on national coverage for CT colonography. Comments will be accepted through June 18, 2008, at the CMS web site. Currently, Medicare does not list CTC as a possible coverage option under the colorectal cancer screening benefit. But the inclusion of CTC… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 21, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments

ACR Meeting Update: RADPAC on track for record contributions and great success

On Tuesday, May 20th, the ACR (American College of Radiology) held its RADPAC Gala. The RADPAC efforts are on track for record participation under the leadership of the esteemed Dr. James Thrall of Massachusetts General Hospital. The night was filled with active participation of over 750 radiologists and radiation oncologists from throughout the country. This dinner marks the eve of the ACR's Capital Hill Day on May 21st. The night featured Congressman, House of Representative of New Jersey,… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on May 21, 2008 at 12:00am — No Comments

ACR and ARRS Merger?

American College of Radiology and American Roentgen Ray Society have announced that there is intensive discussion regarding a merger of the two very large and successful radiology societies. An FAQ was release by the ACR at their annual meeting which basically states the following: FAQs Why is the college considering this? - There are 55 separate radiology organizations, and that this dissipates resources in terms of both human and monetary resources;… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on May 21, 2008 at 12:00am — No Comments

Multislice CT pops the cork noninvasively

May 20, 2008 Multislice CT pops the cork noninvasively Douglas Page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It may be too soon for a television series called "CSI: Radiology," but multislice CT technology is finding uses beyond the realms of clinical or even forensic medicine. Swiss researchers have devised a way to detect smuggled dissolved cocaine using MSCT scanners (AJR:190, May 2008). Smuggled dissolved drugs, particularly cocaine, in bottled… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 20, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments