August 20, 2008 Panel pans FDG-PET evidence for expanded Medicare coverage H. A. Abella ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services advisory panel has found that most available clinical data for nine conditionally approved cancer indications of FDG-PET, evaluated by the National Oncologic PET Registry and a separate Canadian study, are too ambivalent to support Medicare coverage. The nine-member Medicare Evidence…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 20, 2008 at 10:00pm —
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August 20, 2008 PET links brain chemistry, personality H. A. Abella ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the first study of its kind, German researchers have shown a correlation between healthy people's personalities and their brain chemistry using PET. Findings could lead to better understanding and treatment of addictive behavior. Multiple studies have cemented the theory that genetic or acquired anomalies of the brain's endorphine or reward…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 20, 2008 at 12:30am —
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August 19, 2008 Thoracic aortic stenting tops surgery for management of blunt trauma H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Endovascular repair is better and safer than surgery for the treatment of blunt thoracic aortic trauma, according to the largest review of clinical data to date comparing both procedures. Stent-grafts could save more lives and reduce the risk of paraplegia, a frequent surgical complication. Nearly one-quarter of all…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 19, 2008 at 12:30am —
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August 18, 2008 Over-the-counter anesthetic gel reduces mammogram discomfort The Radiological Society of North America -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The simple application of lidocaine gel may reduce the breast discomfort some women experience during mammography exams, according to the results of a clinical trial from Idaho. Compression and the occasional discomfort and pain it brings in the breasts lead many women to avoid mammograms…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 18, 2008 at 1:00am —
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August 15, 2008 Carotid ultrasound predicts stroke, heart attack risk H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evaluation of carotid artery plaque density performed on serial ultrasound scans could help identify patients at high risk for a heart attack or other adverse cardiovascular events, according to Austrian researchers. Physicians know that the majority of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events occur in patients whose blood vessels…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 15, 2008 at 1:00am —
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August 14, 2008 Of heroes and teams Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two virtual soccer clubs -- Predator F.C. and F50 -- would seem to have markedly different approaches to success. The Predator players focus on teamwork, determination, and precision. F50 players favor flair, flamboyance, and speed. Last year, Adidas leveraged the mottos of these two teams as part of a marketing campaign that urges kids aged 15 to 17 to open their…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 14, 2008 at 1:00am —
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August 14, 2008 MRI spots early biological markers of Alzheimer’s H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The era of postautopsy confirmation of Alzheimer's disease may be coming to an end. MR imaging could spot signs of brain deterioration predictive of cognitive decline months, even years, before the onset of dementia, according to recent studies performed in Canada, Europe, and the U.S. Clinical studies have found significant links…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 14, 2008 at 1:00am —
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August 13, 2008 PACS vendors explore managed services model Douglas Page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At first glance, the recent volley of vendor offerings called managed services looks like a reincarnation of the application service provider model popular a few years ago. The ASP concept offered hospitals all the benefits of having PACS without the initial capital outlay. Instead, customers contracted a third party to deploy and maintain an…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 13, 2008 at 1:30am —
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August 13, 2008 Antihistamine, common drugs safely treat allergy-like contrast reactions The American Roentgen Ray Society ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Patients who have had acute allergic-like reactions to nonionic iodinated contrast material rarely develop serious long-term problems and can be treated safely with commonly used medications, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan Hospitals in Ann Arbor.…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 13, 2008 at 1:00am —
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August 12, 2008 New CMS anti-referral rules tighten knot on leasing arrangements H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Following its charge to reduce costly imaging overutilization, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced more stringent prohibitions against self-referral practices. Final Stark rules for the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System for 2009 could force providers to restructure numerous space and…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 12, 2008 at 7:30pm —
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August 11, 2008 Convenience helps mammography facilities keep patients The American Roentgen Ray Society -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location! Location! Location! The magic word for retail business success may also have a huge impact on breast imaging centers. Patients cite convenience to home or work as the main reason they changed mammography facilities, according to a recent study by researchers at the University of Cincinnati. Study…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 11, 2008 at 7:30pm —
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August 8, 2008 Study sheds light on contrast-induced nephropathy in high-risk patients H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Researchers have established the safety of nonionic contrast media in adult and pediatric patients, but questions remained regarding the use of low- and iso-osmolar agents, particularly in patients at high risk of developing contrast-induced nephropathy. Now results from a prospective multicenter study done in China…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 8, 2008 at 8:30pm —
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August 7, 2008 CTA beats MRA, ultrasound for early evaluation of peripheral arterial disease Don Rauf -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Multislice CT angiography should be the preferred choice over MR angiography or duplex ultrasound for initial evaluation of patients with suspected peripheral arterial disease. Dr. Rody Ouwendijk of the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, drew this conclusion from a four-hospital study…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 7, 2008 at 8:30pm —
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August 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Speed, spatial resolution add clinical detail to CTA Dual-energy scanning offers potential to remove bone and arterial calcium, clarifying angiographies Paula Gould -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cardiovascular imaging has much to gain from developments in CT. The improved temporal and spatial resolution has already translated into superior image quality. Now the radiology community is waiting to see whether…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 6, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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August 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Rapid scanning shows benefits in cardiac CT Higher image quality boosts radiologist confidence in diagnoses, while lower dose protects patients Paula Gould -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The clinical impact of new technology is often difficult to quantify. In cardiac CT, however, the connection between diagnostic performance and latest generation scanning technology is crystal clear. The most obvious benefit…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 6, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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August 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Oncology poised to gain from perfusion studies Tumor microvessel network indicates effectiveness of anti-antiogenic treatment faster than does lesion size Paula Gould -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stroke is typically the headline application in all discussions of perfusion CT. Now interest in this technique is growing from a very different direction: oncology imaging. The development of anti-angiogenic cancer…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 6, 2008 at 9:00pm —
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August 6, 2008 MSCT matches cardiac MRI for emergency myocardial infarction assessment H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Multislice CT is just as accurate as MRI in assessing myocardial infarct size in an emergency setting, according to a recent study conducted by researchers in France and the U.S. The latest data validate previous findings suggesting delayed-enhancement myocardial CT correlates well with measures of infarction size…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 6, 2008 at 9:00pm —
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August 5, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. CT takes different directions to tackle age-old problems Fresh approach to earlier technology brings results as slice wars begin to run their course Paula Gould -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The future of CT used to be easy to predict. So-called slice wars dominated the discussion as vendors wheeled out their latest multidetector machines. CT systems were ranked according to a kind of geometric progression:…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 5, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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August 5, 2008 Coronary CTA proves cost-effective for low-risk acute chest pain patients Marjorie Preston -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Massachusetts General Hospital researchers have added to the roll of preliminary evidence suggesting that 64-slice coronary CT angiography can serve as a useful adjunct for emergency department patients who present with acute chest pain. Guided by senior researcher Dr. G. Scott Gazelle, director of the MGH…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 5, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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August 4, 2008 Digital mammography struggles with PACS compatibility glitches H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A recent advisory by the FDA urging breast imaging facilities to ensure compatibility between full-field digital mammography systems and PACS exposed an ongoing problem: Interoperability issues persist as some vendors fail to comply with healthcare digital imaging standards. The FDA learned that image quality from a number of…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on August 4, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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