Emergency radiology
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Emergency radiology · Dec 2012
ReviewWhat the emergency radiologist needs to know about treatment-related complications from conventional chemotherapy and newer molecular targeted agents.
Emergency departments (ED) are increasingly utilized by oncology patients for disease- and treatment-related issues. With the increased use of new molecular targeted therapy (MTT) and conventional chemotherapeutic regimens, oncology patients present with a range of adverse treatment effects, some of which reveal characteristic injury patterns and imaging appearances. Knowledge of these imaging findings is critically important for early detection and prompt management in oncology patients. In this article, we present a brief review of conventional chemotherapeutic and new MTT regimens as well as address adverse reactions that bring oncology patients to the ED.
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Emergency radiology · Dec 2012
Eliminating routine oral contrast use for CT in the emergency department: impact on patient throughput and diagnosis.
This study aimed to assess the effect of eliminating routine oral contrast use for abdominopelvic (AP) computed tomography (CT) on emergency department (ED) patient throughput and diagnosis. Retrospective analysis was performed on patients undergoing AP CT during 2-month periods prior to and following oral contrast protocol change in an urban, tertiary care ED. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease, prior gastrointestinal tract-altering surgery, or lean body habitus continued to receive oral contrast. ⋯ Mean time from order to CT decreased by 66 min, P < 0.001. No patient with CT negative for acute findings had additional subsequent AP imaging within 72 h at our institution that led to a change in diagnosis. Eliminating routine oral contrast use for AP CT in the ED may be successful in decreasing LOS and time from order to CT without demonstrated compromise in acute patient diagnosis.