Emergency radiology
-
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a novel strain of coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has quickly spread around the globe. Health care facilities in the USA currently do not have an adequate supply of COVID-19 tests to meet the growing demand. Imaging findings for COVID-19 are non-specific but include pulmonary parenchymal ground-glass opacities in a predominantly basal and peripheral distribution. ⋯ Using imaging characteristics of COVID-19 on abdominal or neck CT when a portion of the lungs is included, patients not initially suspected of COVID-19 infection can be quarantined earlier to limit exposure to others.
-
Emergency radiology · Jun 2020
Exploratory data analysis for pre and post 24/7/365 attending radiologist coverage support in an emergency department: fundamentals of data science.
To present a detailed exploratory data analysis for critically investigating the patterns in medical doctor (MD) to disposition time, pre and post 24/7/365 attending radiologist coverage, for patients presenting to an emergency department (ED). ⋯ Different statistical procedures may be applied to conduct exploratory subgroup analysis for a data set from a pre and post 24/7/365 attending coverage model. This could guide potential areas of further research to compare trends in MD to disposition time in ED. Pattern analysis provides evidence for various stakeholders to rethink the discourse about trends in MD to disposition time, pre and post 24/7/365 attending coverage. Graphical Illustration: The role of Emergency and Trauma Radiology in an Emergency Department.
-
Emergency radiology · Jun 2020
ReviewMass casualty incidents-are you ready? A major incident planning template for diagnostic radiology.
Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) create a large number of casualties in a short period of time. Diagnostic radiology plays an important role in major incident responses but is often underrepresented during major incident planning (MIP) and simulation. Surveys suggest radiologists are unfamiliar with their role during an MCI. ⋯ Simulation can help identify areas for improvement and familiarize staff with their roles. Further development of reliable MCI alert technology and patient identification strategies are needed as well as prospective validation of trauma CT selection criteria to identify patients who will benefit most from CT. Radiology should take part in MIP to address key issues encountered during prior MCIs and in MCI simulation to optimize major incident response.
-
Emergency radiology · Feb 2020
Evaluation of a novel curriculum on point-of-care ultrasound competency and confidence.
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education is a requirement of graduate medical education in EM. Milestones have been established to assess resident US competency. However, the delivery of POCUS education has not been standardized. This study aims to evaluate the impact of implementing a longitudinal, structured POCUS curriculum during EM residency on trainee competency and confidence. ⋯ Implementation of a structured, longitudinal POCUS curriculum resulted in a trend towards improved trainee confidence, satisfaction, and perception of POCUS. Future studies are needed to identify the optimal structure for POCUS educational content delivery and competency assessment for EM resident providers.
-
Vaping-associated lung injury via the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) is currently being evaluated as a potential source of pulmonary injury with uncertain etiology as the use of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is increasing throughout the USA. ENDS are marketed to be unlike traditional cigarette smoking in that they are purported to contain only propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, nicotine, and flavorants compared with the > 60 carcinogenic ingredients in cigarettes. ⋯ We present a case of vaping-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a young patient with no additional past medical history. The immediate radiologic recognition of vaping as a risk factor for ARDS in the emergency setting is pivotal so that appropriate medical management and respiratory support can be initiated without delay.