AJR. American journal of roentgenology
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Jul 2015
Facial Fracture in the Setting of Whole-Body CT for Trauma: Incidence and Clinical Predictors.
The objective of our study was to identify the incidence and clinical predictors of facial fracture in the setting of whole-body MDCT for trauma. ⋯ A negative finding at facial physical examination reliably excluded fracture. Clinical variables positively associated with facial fracture included the following: GCS score of 8 or less, ISS of 16 or greater, alcohol intoxication according to BAC, intubation at presentation, loss of consciousness, and the presence of abnormal facial findings at physical examination.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Jul 2015
Rates of Breakthrough Reactions in Inpatients at High Risk Receiving Premedication Before Contrast-Enhanced CT.
The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of allergiclike breakthrough reactions among inpatients at high risk receiving premedication before undergoing CT with IV iodinated low-osmolality contrast material (LOCM). ⋯ Patients premedicated for a previous reaction to iodinated contrast material have a breakthrough reaction rate 3-4 times the ordinary reaction rate in the general population. Patients receiving premedication for other reasons have a breakthrough reaction rate near 0%. Many patients must receive premedication to prevent one reaction.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Jul 2015
Radiology Department Preparedness for the Management of Severe Acute Iodinated Contrast Reactions: Do We Need to Change Our Approach?
The purpose of this study was to identify opportunities for reducing epinephrine administration errors after a sentinel event entailing an overdose of i.v. epinephrine occurred in a radiology department. ⋯ Stocking and routine auditing of medication availability are essential. The use of epinephrine intended for cardiac arrest stocked on code carts should be avoided during contrast reactions. It would be optimal if first-line responders to contrast reactions included attending physicians, but this may not always be the case at academic institutions.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Jul 2015
Feasibility Study of 3-T DWI of the Prostate: Readout-Segmented Versus Single-Shot Echo-Planar Imaging.
The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the clinical utility of generalized autocalibrating partial parallel acquisition (GRAPPA)-accelerated readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI) DWI and compare it with standard single-shot EPI ( ss-EPI) DWI in visualization of the prostate during 3-T MRI. ⋯ The technique of rs-EPI DWI combined with GRAPPA enables robust prostate imaging with high image quality and may provide great benefit in routine clinical practice.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Jul 2015
Is Biopsying the Paravertebral Soft Tissue as Effective as Biopsying the Disk or Vertebral Endplate? 10-Year Retrospective Review of CT-Guided Biopsy of Diskitis-Osteomyelitis.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in biopsying bone (endplate), disk, or paravertebral soft tissue to culture the pathogenic organism causing diskitis-osteomyelitis. ⋯ Paravertebral soft-tissue changes, when present, may be considered a viable target for biopsy in cases of diskitis-osteomyelitis, even in the absence of a paravertebral abscess.