October 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Radiology searches for place in healthcare reform puzzle Radiologists worry about surprise rate cuts and tighter tech regulation but still wield influence over IT and healthcare quality initiatives James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Few political undertakings equal healthcare reform in size, complexity, and importance to the nation's economic status and well-being. The U.S. way of dispensing medicine…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 7, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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October 7, 2008 Report from ARRS: Ultrasound pins down source of stump pain in amputees H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sonography can accurately detect the causes of stump pain in amputees, according to researchers in the U.K. Investigators say ultrasound findings could guide management, help educate patients about their condition, and allow prosthesis design customization. Images from the Beijing Paralympic Games or those of a…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 7, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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October 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Radiology searches for place in healthcare reform puzzle Radiologists worry about surprise rate cuts and tighter tech regulation but still wield influence over IT and healthcare quality initiatives James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Few political undertakings equal healthcare reform in size, complexity, and importance to the nation's economic status and well-being. The U.S. way of dispensing medicine…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 7, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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October 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. PET/CT shows high value in lung cancer staging trial An in-depth assessment of PET/CT at three German teaching hospitals has shown the fusion imaging technology improves on CT alone and pays dividends clinically and financially for staging non-small cell lung cancer. The research leading to these conclusions was based on evaluations of 205 patients with proven non-small cell lung cancer who were staged with FDG-PET/CT and conventional contrast-enhanced…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 7, 2008 at 1:00am —
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October 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Obama seeks universal coverage, cheaper drugs Senator Barack Obama promises healthcare coverage for every qualified U.S. resident, though a closer analysis suggests he would require coverage for all children and allow some adults to voluntarily go without insurance. Obama would keep the current employer-paid healthcare scheme. Premiums would be lowered for individuals and families that already have health insurance. He promises coverage for uninsured…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 7, 2008 at 1:00am —
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October 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. McCain emphasizes market-driven reform Senator John McCain plans to use business competition to improve the quality of health insurance and to lower prices and increase insurance plan portability. He would eliminate the employer tax deduction for health insurance and create new tax deductions for families and individuals. This approach could greatly reduce employer-sponsored health benefits and encourage strong business opposition to the plan by denying…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 7, 2008 at 1:00am —
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October 6, 2008 Report from ASCO: Studies reveal pros and cons of breast MRI Don Rauf -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MRI's changing status as an instrument for breast cancer diagnosis and evaluation was apparent last month at the 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. One study suggested that MR's growing popularity for treatment planning may had led to more mastectomies, and another trial added to growing evidence about its ability…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:30pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Panel pans clinical trials justifying PET coverage Poor review of efficacy studies for applications monitored by PET registry disappoints proponents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PET imaging proponents reacted with dismay in August when a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services advisory panel found data for nine conditionally approved cancer indications of FDG-PET were too ambivalent to support CMS…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:30pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Over-the-counter anesthetic reduces breast imaging pain -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Researchers in Idaho have found that a little lidocaine gel applied topically reduces breast discomfort experienced during mammography. The simple technique could lead more women to comply with recommended guidelines for mammographic screening. …
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:30pm —
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October 6, 2008 Report from ASCO: Studies reveal pros and cons of breast MRI Don Rauf -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MRI's changing status as an instrument for breast cancer diagnosis and evaluation was apparent last month at the 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. One study suggested that MR's growing popularity for treatment planning may had led to more mastectomies, and another trial added to growing evidence about its ability…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Over-the-counter anesthetic reduces breast imaging pain -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Researchers in Idaho have found that a little lidocaine gel applied topically reduces breast discomfort experienced during mammography. The simple technique could lead more women to comply with recommended guidelines for mammographic screening. Lead investigator Colleen Lambertz, and colleagues at St. Luke's Mountain States…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Neurotransmitters show correlation with personality -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With the help of PET, German researchers have established a correlation between healthy people's personalities and their brain chemistry. Lead investigator Dr. Peter Bartenstein, a professor of nuclear medicine at Ludwig Maximilians-University in Munich, supervised the examination of 23 healthy men with no history of substance…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. MRI reliably characterizes medial meniscal tears -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Studies from Korea and the U.S. show that MR imaging of the knee is a reliable and accurate test for the detection of specific subtypes of medial meniscal tears. MRI could also help identify false-positive injuries of the menisci and avoid unnecessary surgeries. Dr. So Yeon Lee and colleagues at the Catholic University of Korea…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. MR-compatible treadmill eases cardiac stress imaging -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While treadmill exercise stress testing is an essential tool for detecting and treating cardiovascular disease, it is often difficult for physicians to obtain clear images of the heart when a patient's heart is at peak stress. This is changing at the Ohio State University Medical Center, where researchers have designed…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Image Gently alliance speaks up about pediatric CT safety -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a breakthrough for pediatric radiology, the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging sponsored the first pediatric CT vendor summit aimed at standardizing radiation dose settings and display language for pediatric CT scanners. The Aug. 20 summit at Cincinnati Children's Hospital was a first step in the Image…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. EVAR outdoes surgery for care of aortic blunt trauma -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A large metastudy indicates that endovascular repair is better and safer than surgery for the treatment of blunt thoracic aortic trauma. Dr. Eric K. Hoffer and colleagues at Dartmouth Medical School's vascular and interventional radiology unit reviewed 19 published studies comparing 262 endograft repairs versus 376 open…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Neurotransmitters show correlation with personality -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With the help of PET, German researchers have established a correlation between healthy people's personalities and their brain chemistry. Lead investigator Dr. Peter Bartenstein, a professor of nuclear medicine at Ludwig Maximilians-University in Munich, supervised the examination of 23 healthy men with no history of substance…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. MRI reliably characterizes medial meniscal tears -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Studies from Korea and the U.S. show that MR imaging of the knee is a reliable and accurate test for the detection of specific subtypes of medial meniscal tears. MRI could also help identify false-positive injuries of the menisci and avoid unnecessary surgeries. Dr. So Yeon Lee and colleagues at the Catholic University of Korea…
Continue
Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. MR-compatible treadmill eases cardiac stress imaging -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While treadmill exercise stress testing is an essential tool for detecting and treating cardiovascular disease, it is often difficult for physicians to obtain clear images of the heart when a patient's heart is at peak stress. This is changing at the Ohio State University Medical Center, where researchers have designed…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Carotid ultrasound predicts stroke, heart attack risks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carotid artery plaque examinations performed with serial ultrasound scans could help identify patients at high risk for a heart attack or other potentially lethal cardiovascular conditions. Dr. Markus Reiter, at the Medical University of Vienna, evaluated 1268 asymptomatic patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease using…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 6, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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