Emergency radiology
-
Emergency radiology · Aug 2015
Case ReportsCrossFit-related cervical internal carotid artery dissection.
CrossFit is a high-intensity strength and conditioning program that has gained popularity over the past decade. Potential injuries associated with CrossFit training have been suggested in past reports. We report three cases of cervical carotid dissection that are associated with CrossFit workouts. ⋯ Patient 2 suffered a proximal cervical ICA dissection that led to arterial occlusion and recurrent middle cerebral artery territory infarcts and significant neurological sequelae. Patient 3 had a skull base ICA dissection that led to a partial Horner's syndrome but no cerebral infarct. While direct causality cannot be proven, intense CrossFit workouts may have led to the ICA dissections in these patients.
-
Emergency radiology · Aug 2015
Reformatted images of the thoracic and lumbar spine following CT of chest, abdomen, and pelvis in the setting of blunt trauma: are they necessary?
Injuries involving the thoracic and lumbar (TL) spine in the setting of blunt trauma are not uncommon. At our institution, CT of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis (CT CAP) with dedicated reformatted images of the thoracolumbar spine (CT TL) is part of the standard work-up of patients following significant blunt trauma. The purpose of this study was to compare the detection rate of TL spine fractures on routine trauma CT CAP with reformatted CT TL spine images and determine whether these reformatted images detect additional fractures and if these altered patient management. ⋯ Of these 66 patients, 40 (60.6 %) had fractures identified on both CT CAP and CT TL spine and 24 (36.4 %) had fractures identified on CT TL spine images alone. Fourteen patients required treatment with surgery or bracing, 4 (28.6 %) of which had fractures identified on reformatted TL spine imaging only. In conclusion, a significant number of fractures are detected on TL spine reformats that are not identified on CT CAP alone, altering patient management in a few cases and suggesting that dedicated TL spine reformats should be a standard part of the work-up of blunt trauma patients.
-
Quality can be seen as the link between what we do as radiologists and patient health. The radiology quality movement represents an opportunity for radiologists to have more direct influence on patient health, including the quality domains of safety, effectiveness, patient centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equitability. Focusing on quality allows emergency radiologists to extend outside of the confines of the reading room, thereby enhancing a rewarding and clinically relevant practice.
-
Emergency radiology · Jun 2015
ReviewHighlights from the scientific and educational abstracts presented at the ASER 2014 Annual Scientific Meeting and Postgraduate Course.
The American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER) 2014 Annual Scientific Meeting and Postgraduate Course offered dedicated learning sessions, oral presentations, and digital exhibits on a broad spectrum of topics in emergency radiology, including traumatic and nontraumatic emergencies, quality, communication, education, and technology. This article highlights the scientific and educational abstracts presented at the meeting (Emerg Radiol 21:431-471, 2014).
-
Emergency radiology · Jun 2015
Case ReportsBWH emergency radiology--surgical correlation: sigmoid volvulus.
We describe the radiological and intraoperative correlation of large bowel obstruction due to sigmoid volvulus in a 52-year-old female. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the importance of recognizing sigmoid volvulus as a cause of bowel obstruction in patients presenting with abdominal pain, since it can lead to bowel ischemia and necrosis.