AJR. American journal of roentgenology
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Aug 2011
Comparative StudyComparison of sagittal T2-weighted BLADE and fast spin-echo MRI of the female pelvis for motion artifact and lesion detection.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of BLADE (proprietary name for periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction [PROPELLER] in MR systems from Siemens Healthcare) MRI compared with conventional T2-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE) MRI for reducing artifacts and improving image quality when imaging the female pelvis. ⋯ Imaging of uterine junctional zone anatomy, ovaries, and fibroids was improved and artifacts were reduced with BLADE compared with FSE. Radial artifact introduced by the BLADE sequence and slightly longer imaging times needed for the BLADE sequence were offset by improved image quality.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Aug 2011
Comparative evaluation of the modified CT severity index and CT severity index in assessing severity of acute pancreatitis.
The purpose of this study was to compare the modified CT severity index (MCTSI) with the CT severity index (CTSI) regarding assessment of severity parameters in acute pancreatitis (AP). Both CT indexes were also compared with the Acute Physiology, Age, and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) index. ⋯ No significant differences were noted between the CTSI and the MCTSI in evaluating the severity of AP. Compared with APACHE II, both CT indexes more accurately diagnose clinically severe disease and better correlate with the need for intervention and pancreatic infection.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Aug 2011
Automatic MDCT injectors: hygiene and efficiency of disposable, prefilled, and multidosing roller pump systems in clinical routine.
This study evaluated three different injection systems with regard to microbiological contamination, time efficiency, and user handling during a clinical routine. ⋯ Double-syringe injectors used with disposable or prefilled contrast agent syringes, as well as roller pump injectors, ensure hygienic conditions in clinical routine. However, time efficiency and handling are aspects that favor prefilled and roller pump systems.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Aug 2011
Screening cervical spine CT in a level I trauma center: overutilization?
The objective of our study was to analyze the use of screening cervical spine CT performed after trauma and establish the opportunity of potentially avoidable studies when evidence-based clinical criteria are applied before imaging. ⋯ The strict application of the NEXUS low-risk criteria could potentially reduce the number of screening cervical spine CT examinations in the setting of trauma in more than 20% of cases, thereby avoiding a significant amount of unnecessary radiation and significant cost.