Insights into imaging
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Insights into imaging · Feb 2014
Imaging referral guidelines in Europe: now and in the future-EC Referral Guidelines Workshop Proceedings.
As an integral part of the European Commission (EC) Imaging Referral Guidelines Project a 1.5-day workshop was held in Vienna on 20-21 September, 2012. At this workshop, models and good practices regarding the appropriateness and use of imaging referral guidelines (Guidelines) in Europe and worldwide were presented, together with the results of a survey of Guidelines in Europe. The latter included ideas, innovations and wishes for future Community action. ⋯ Recommendations for future Community action: Stronger measures should be taken by the EC and the European competent authorities for making Guidelines available and used in all EU member states. Evidence-based Guidelines with separate guidance for children should be issued or endorsed by a trusted European organisation. Educational initiatives and electronic requesting in connection with clinical decision support (CDS) systems should be used to improve the implementation of Guidelines. Monitoring of Guidelines implementation and use should be by clinical audit, particularly external audit, but also by local/internal audit.
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Insights into imaging · Dec 2013
Radiography, tomosynthesis, CT and MRI in the evaluation of pulmonary cystic fibrosis: an untangling review of the multitude of scoring systems.
The first radiographic scoring system for pulmonary cystic fibrosis was presented in 1958. Since then a multitude of scoring systems for radiography and computed tomography (CT) have been presented, recently also for tomosynthesis and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The aim of the current review was to analyse and compare the plethora of scoring systems for cystic fibrosis, especially regarding which scoring components are considered most important. ⋯ • Scoring of examinations is used for comparison of outcome in studies. • Scoring of examinations can also be used for monitoring disease progression. • Cystic fibrosis can be scored on radiography, tomosynthesis, CT or MRI. • The typical imaging findings of cystic fibrosis depend on the imaging modality used. • Bronchiectasis is commonly considered the most significant finding when scoring cystic fibrosis.
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Acute wrist trauma in children is one of the most frequent reasons for visiting the emergency department (ED). Radiographic imaging in children with wrist trauma is mostly performed routinely to confirm or rule out a fracture. The aim of this study was to determine how many radiographs of the wrist show a fracture in children following wrist trauma. ⋯ • Fifty-one percent of the children with wrist trauma have a wrist fracture. • Peak incidence of having a wrist fracture is at the age of 10 years. • Sixty-five percent of the children younger than 10 years of age had a wrist fracture. • Of all the patients without a wrist fracture, 74 % were older than 10 years of age. • The development of a clinical decision rule to reduce the number of radiographs is needed.
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Insights into imaging · Aug 2012
Imaging-guided lumbar facet injections: is there a difference in outcomes between low back pain patients who remember to return a postal questionnaire and those who do not?
To determine whether data obtained from patients returning postal questionnaires accurately reflect how patients receiving imaging-guided lumbar facet injections respond. ⋯ Patients returning postal questionnaires report worse outcomes after facet injection. • Method of data collection should be considered when reporting treatment outcomes. • Patients receiving facet injections at more than one level report greater levels of pain reduction.
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Thoracic injury overall is the third most common cause of trauma following injury to the head and extremities. Thoracic trauma has a high morbidity and mortality, accounting for approximately 25% of trauma-related deaths, second only to head trauma. More than 70% of cases of blunt thoracic trauma are due to motor vehicle collisions, with the remainder caused by falls or blows from blunt objects. ⋯ High-quality multiplanar and volumetric reformatted CT images greatly improve the detection of injuries and enhance the understanding of mechanisms of trauma-related abnormalities.