Radiologists will play a key role in the event of a national disaster and should adequately prepare for such scenarios, says an article recently published in Emergency Radiology. The article describes 12 possible situations, formulated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Defense after the Sept 11 attacks, and the expected response from the radiology community. Potential scenarios include:

nuclear detonation
biological aerosol … read more »

Folks following the Olympics this month may have noticed a new team player: medical imaging. Radiology is playing a bigger role than ever at the Winter games, including, for the first time, instant ultrasound that can help doctors and coaches determine if an athlete is fit to return to competition.

OVUS—short for on-venue ultrasound—is provided at the cross-country Nordic, speed skating, … read more »

In response to the vast medical needs and human suffering resulting from the recent, devastating earthquake in Haiti, the American College of Radiology Foundation has launched the Haiti Radiology Relief Fund. The Fund will help supply health care facilities in Haiti with necessary radiological support – including radiology equipment, supplies, materials as well as physician and medical physicist volunteers.

“We urge … read more »

Multidetector CT has resulted in improved image quality and ability to obtain thinner images and high-quality reformatted images. Yet despite the advances, every radiology department must grapple with which thickness images should be interpreted, and weigh factors such as sensitivity and specificity, interpretation time, and storage costs. … read more »

Personal digital assistants (PDAs), iPods, and other common handheld devices may help emergency radiologists detect orthopedic injuries and brain hemorrhages, according to a study published in the February issue of The American Journal of Roentgenology. The finding suggest radiologists may soon use handheld devices for teleconsultations and emergency procedures.

“Although the benefits of handheld devices in the daily routine of clinicians … read more »

Medical professionals wanting to help with earthquake disaster relief in Haiti should exercise caution, experts from the American Medical Association said in a webinar presented Jan. 16. The program was held jointly by the National Disaster Life Support Foundation Inc, the American Public Health Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Injury Response, the American Nurses Association, … read more »

Techniques such as stent graft placement, thrombin injection, downsizing, and Gelfoam embolization have been used to repair the subclavian artery after inadvertent puncture. … read more »

A recent British study supports the American practice of using oblique views, in addition to anteroposterior (AP) and lateral views, to evaluate adult wrist injuries in the emergency room. While the American College of Radiology advocates using all three views, up until now British literature hasn’t addressed the issue.

Using AP and lateral views only, three non-radiologist technicians and one radiologist first reviewed … read more »

Glass holiday decorations pose more of a safety risk than some parents might think, a new study says. A review of records from Children’s Hospital Boston found injuries in young children (median age: two years) involve eating glass fragments and even batteries. Out of 76 cases dating from 1995 through 2008, researchers found:

More than half of the injuries involved swallowing … read more »

Ankle pain is one of the most common problems emergency doctors deal with. Using a simple methodical approach based on key anatomic landmarks can help doctors identify low-energy ankle injuries faster. In a study published in Emergency Radiology, researchers from Ohio State University Medical Center pinpointed 11 ankle joint sites especially vulnerable to fractures and/or osteochondrial injuries. The initial diagnosis … read more »