Diagnostic Imaging's Blog – October 2008 Archive (90)

October 2, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Irish judge's stunning display forces rethink on lecture style Philip Ward, Editor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a special moment of conference drama: a High Court judge giving a carefully crafted presentation about how doctors should conduct themselves in medicolegal cases. The atmosphere was electric. Attendees listened as if their very livelihoods depended on it, knowing that senior lawyers rarely… Continue

October 2, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Healthcare reform continues to bedevil pundits and practitioners James Brice ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the reporter for this month's cover story, I approached the topic of healthcare reform with trepidation. The article was researched and written in July and August—a sliver of time that seemed possibly too early to perform a relevant analysis. Now in my 17th year with Diagnostic Imaging, I witnessed the… Continue

October 2, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. GE scanner fuses US images with CT, MR, and PET data Volume Navigation guides interventions by updating 3D models with gray-scale and color sonograms -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GE Healthcare has a new ultrasound flagship, one whose architecture and beamformer improve image uniformity as its workflow tools speed routine scans, according to the company. But the most remarkable aspect of GE's latest… Continue

October 2, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Fujifilm begins work on solid-state mammo detector Women's healthcare director explains fit with CR-based full-field digital and image processing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The company that brought computed radiography to mammography is planning to add a solid-state detector to its portfolio. Fujifilm Medical Systems USA will pursue a plan that uses both approaches to address different segments of the U.S.… Continue

October 2, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Finding dose/quality balance presents CT imaging challenge Scan parameters must be tailored to provide best diagnostic images without exposing patients to unnecessary radiation BY MARCO FRANCONE, M.D., PH.D., CARLO CATALANO, M.D., AND FEDERICA VASSELLI, M.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interest in cardiac imaging with multislice CT is growing, as evidenced by the large number of studies that have been… Continue

October 2, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Dude sadly trades his seahorse for real thing Chardonnay and mountains help keep conversation on healthcare in perspective BY BRADLEY M. TIPLER, M.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For my two preteen boys, everyone is a dude, and most of life is awesome. I never really thought of myself as a dude, but life is all about changes. My wife grew up with horses. She loves them and anything with four legs. Our boys… Continue

October 2, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. CT and MRI provide impetus in heart imaging revolution Wide area detectors and targeted contrast agents help promote cause of advanced imaging for earlier diagnosis, improved patient management BY HATEM ALKADHI, M.D., SEBASTIAN LESCHKA, M.D., AND BORUT MARINCEK, M.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coronary heart disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developed countries.1 Accurate… Continue

October 2, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Case of the Month -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLINICAL HISTORY A 27-year-old woman with history of nephrolithiasis presented for a renal ultrasound prior to lithotripsy. FINDINGS Sagittal and transverse supine views (Figure 1A and 1B) of the right kidney demonstrate a cystic structure in the upper pole. This structure contained highly echogenic material that layered dependently and presented a sharp… Continue

October 2, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Candidates poke at gorilla of health reform, but can they tame it? John C. Hayes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In an online survey posted this fall on the Diagnosticimaging.com website, we asked respondents how important it is that the next president and Congress enact substantial reforms of the healthcare system. With 130 votes in as of this writing, 73% answered very important and 15% somewhat important.… Continue

October 1, 2008 Wine-based antioxidant could shield against radiation exposure H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An antioxidant contained in red table wine could one day prove effective as protection against radiation from a nuclear attack, according to a study by University of Pittsburgh researchers. The University of Pittsburgh's Center for Medical Countermeasures Against Radiation is dedicated to discovering and developing drugs… Continue