Radiology
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Comparative Study
Screening US for blunt abdominal trauma: objective predictors of false-negative findings and missed injuries.
To determine the risk for missed injury in patients with blunt abdominal trauma and negative findings at screening ultrasonography (US) and with coexistent hematuria or fracture of the sixth through 12th ribs, lumbar spine, or pelvis. ⋯ Hematuria and fracture of the lower ribs, lumbar spine, or pelvis are objective predictors of missed abdominal injury in patients with blunt abdominal trauma and negative US findings, and such patients may benefit from additional screening with computed tomography.
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Comparative Study
Proximal great vessels of aortic arch: comparison of three-dimensional gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography and digital subtraction angiography.
To prospectively compare dynamic three-dimensional (3D) gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for the detection of ostial stenosis of the craniocervical vessels. ⋯ MR angiography is useful to rule out ostial stenosis of the craniocervical vessels. MR angiography is an adequate diagnostic tool for ostial stenosis, except in the vertebral artery.
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Comparative Study
Radiation dose is reduced with a single-pass whole-body multi-detector row CT trauma protocol compared with a conventional segmented method: initial experience.
Radiation dose data were collected from a calibrated multi-detector row computed tomographic (CT) scanner during trauma CT. One protocol (used with 10 case subjects) involved a single-pass continuous whole-body acquisition from cranial vertex to symphysis pubis, while the other, conventional protocol (used with 10 control subjects) involved scouting and scanning body segments (head, cervical spine, chest, abdomen, and pelvis) individually. Technical factors were kept constant within each body segment for the single-pass and the segmented protocols. ⋯ Analysis of power and subject population by using a difference in mean of 500 mGy. cm and an alpha of.05 revealed a (1-beta) of higher than 0.90 for a sample of 10 patients. Thus, a whole-body single-pass trauma protocol, compared with a typical segmented acquisition protocol matched for imaging technique, resulted in reduced total radiation dose. The reduction in radiation dose is thought to represent a reduction in redundant imaging at overlap zones between body segments scanned in the segmental protocol but not in the continuous acquisition.