Journal of medical imaging and radiation oncology
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J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol · Jun 2013
Diagnostic accuracy of whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with 3.0 T in detection of primary and metastatic neoplasms.
To discuss the accuracy of the whole-body diffusion-weighted imaging with background body signal suppression (WB-DWIBS) technique performed in the 3.0-T system. ⋯ WB-DWIBS is a non-invasive technique that may successfully detect the spreading of the tumoural tissue in cancer patients when compared with PET/CT.
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J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol · Apr 2013
Head injury: audit of a clinical guideline to justify head CT.
Head injury causes significant morbidity and mortality, and there is contention about which patients to scan. The UK National Health Service Clinical Guideline (CG) 56 provides criteria for selecting patients with clinically important brain injury who may benefit from a head CT scan, while minimising the radiation and economic burden of scanning patients without significant injury. This study aims to audit the documentation of the use of these guidelines in a busy UK trauma hospital and discusses the comparison with an Australian (New South Wales (NSW) ) head injury guideline. ⋯ The study shows that the head injury guidelines are not being fully utilised at a major UK trauma hospital, resulting in 5% of patients being exposed to ionising radiation without apparent documented clinical justification. The NSW guideline has distinct differences to the CG 56, with a more complex algorithm and an absence of specific time frames for head CT completion. The results suggest a need for further education and awareness of head injury clinical guidelines.
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J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol · Feb 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialA randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of nightly sildenafil citrate to preserve erectile function after radiation treatment for prostate cancer.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common adverse event associated with treatment for prostate cancer. This study aimed to identify whether early, regular use of sildenafil after radiation treatment for prostate cancer is effective at reducing the rate of ED at 2 years. ⋯ There was no evidence from this trial that sildenafil provides long-term erectile function for patients while on medication. Regular use of sildenafil may improve short-term sexual function for patients while on medication. Larger trials are required to examine the effectiveness of implementing sildenafil for prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment.
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J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol · Feb 2013
ReviewEvidence-based guideline for the written radiology report: methods, recommendations and implementation challenges.
The written radiology report is the dominant method by which radiologists communicate the results of diagnostic and interventional imaging procedures. It has an important impact on decisions about further investigation and management. Its form and content can be influential in reducing harm to patients and mitigating risk for practitioners but varies markedly with little standardisation in practice. ⋯ International guidelines on this subject are not evidence based and lack description of development methods. The current guideline seeks to improve the quality of the written report by providing evidence-based recommendations for good practice. The following attributes of the report are addressed by recommendations: Content Clinical information available to the radiologist at the time the report was created Technical details of the procedure Examination quality and limitations Findings (both normal and abnormal) Comparison with previous studies Pathophysiological diagnosis Differential diagnoses Clinical correlation and/or answer to the clinical question Recommendations, particularly for further imaging and other investigations Conclusion/opinion/impression Format Length Format Language Confidence and certainty Clarity Readability Accuracy Communication of discrepancies between an original verbal or written report and the final report Proofreading/editing of own and trainee reports.
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J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol · Feb 2013
Knowledge of medical imaging radiation dose and risk among doctors.
The growth of computed tomography (CT) and nuclear medicine (NM) scans has revolutionised healthcare but also greatly increased population radiation doses. Overuse of diagnostic radiation is becoming a feature of medical practice, leading to possible unnecessary radiation exposures and lifetime-risks of developing cancer. Doctors across all medical specialties and experience levels were surveyed to determine their knowledge of radiation doses and potential risks associated with some diagnostic imaging. ⋯ Knowledge of CT and NM radiation doses is poor across all specialties, and there is a significant inverse relationship between experience and awareness of CT dose and risk. Despite having a poor understanding of these concepts, most doctors claim to consider them prior to requesting scans and when discussing potential risks with patients.