Emergency radiology
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Emergency radiology · Dec 2021
Observational StudyUltrasound in forearm fractures: a pragmatic study assessing the utility of Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) in identifying and managing distal radius fractures.
Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) is a safe, non-invasive tool for identifying distal radius fractures and can potentially be utilised to assist clinicians to reduce displaced fractures. We aim to test whether PoCUS is accurate to identify distal radius fractures and to determine how PoCUS performs as a tool to confirm a successful fracture reduction. ⋯ Our study supports the use of PoCUS for identifying distal radius forearm fractures and may have some value in assisting clinicians to determine post reduction success. We still advocate using standard X-ray radiographs to confirm successful or adequate cortical alignment following a manipulation.
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Emergency radiology · Oct 2021
ReviewCOVID-19 ARDS: a review of imaging features and overview of mechanical ventilation and its complications.
The first cluster of cases of COVID-19 pneumonia was reported on December 31, 2019. Since then, this disease has spread rapidly across the world, and as of September 17, 2021, there are 226,844,344 cases of COVID-19 worldwide with 4,666,334 deaths related to COVID-19. While most COVID-19 cases are mild, some cases are severe with patients developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ⋯ Recent studies have shown that the rate of barotrauma-related events is higher in patients with COVID-19 ARDS compared to patients with ARDS secondary to other etiologies. Radiologists should be aware of the imaging features of COVID-19 ARDS as well as the complications of mechanical ventilation. This educational manuscript will review the features of COVID-19 ARDS, discuss imaging of patients on mechanical ventilation, and review the imaging features of complications related to mechanical ventilation, including ventilator-associated lung injuries.
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Emergency radiology · Oct 2021
ReviewImpact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiology department emergency ultrasound utilization.
To analyze the change in utilization of healthcare resources through a review of ultrasound examinations performed in the emergency department of an urban healthcare system in NYC during the time of peak COVID-19 outbreak. ⋯ COVID-19 had a drastic impact on the utilization of emergency department ultrasounds performed by the radiology department, with a decrease in total exams performed and changes in patient demographics, including a higher proportion of male patients and increases in some markers of disease severity, including rate of hospital admission.
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CT angiography (CTA) has become a valuable tool in the assessment of suspected arterial injury in patients with penetrating lower extremity trauma. However, expensive imaging such as CTA should be judiciously utilized to ensure value-based care. We therefore assessed the yield of CTA in this setting at a level-1 trauma unit and correlated it with the clinical history provided. ⋯ There is poor correlation between clinical details provided and the presence of arterial injury at our institution. In this context, CTA serves a pivotal role in the definitive identification of arterial injury.
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Emergency radiology · Jun 2021
A virtual emergency: learning lessons from remote medical student education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancelation of traditional on-site clinical rotations for medical students across the country. Radiology educators have had to rapidly adapt to a new, virtual educational landscape. We describe our experience restructuring a Trauma and Emergency Radiology Elective to an online format and present survey data obtained from students who completed the course. ⋯ The success of our online rotation highlights the merits of self-directed learning and flipped-classroom techniques. Many of the principles incorporated into this course could be applied and/or modified to increase medical student engagement when students return to the hospital.