CT

The floodgates of advanced processing sprang wide Wednesday, unleashing a three-hour torrent of 2D and 3D renderings from eight workstations in what has become an annual event at the International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT.

Systems that effectively archive today’s thin-slice CT images are the wave of the future, but they aren’t here yet. In the meantime, PACS administrators need to be aware of this trend and consider scalable solutions that keep their options open for future developments, according to a presentation at the 2009 International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT.

Nuclear imaging practices are bracing for another long isotope shortage with the May 15 emergency shutdown of the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at Chalk River in Ontario, Canada.

Like Goldilocks testing the bears’ porridge, the American College of Radiology and other professional societies are using diagnostic reference level (DRL) data to tell radiologists if the patient dose radiation from their CT scanners is too hot or just right.

Training trumps experience when it comes to interpreting CT colonography, said Dr. Abe Dachman, director of the Fellowship Programs at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Other headlines: Cardiac cath usage declinesViztek launches mammo PACS viewer

The factors associated with clinically significant contrast-induced nephropathy are a low estimated glomerular filtration rate (

Chinese Hospital is dedicated to serving patients of Chinese descent in San Francisco. By integrating advanced processing techniques and scheduling, its Carestream RIS/PACS helps the hospital make the most of its resources. Greg Freiherr has the story from San Francisco’s Chinatown.

The new generation of wide CT detectors provides expanded coverage, allowing faster scans and even dynamic imaging of organs, including heart and brain. There are disadvantages, said Dr. Mathias Prokop, speaking May 19 at the 11th International Symposium on Multidetector Row CT, but these are minor in comparison.

A smorgasbord of challenges face radiology but few present a greater threat than the “invisible radiologist,” said Dr. Gary Glazer, chairman of the Stanford University radiology department, who kicked off the 11th International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT.

Radiation exposure from multislice CT may be a reason for concern regarding pregnant women and fetuses, but Dr. Donald P. Frush does not consider it a contraindication to performing medically necessary procedures.

One of the first proven applications for multislice CT was trauma, a clinical role affirmed by past International Symposia on Multidetector-Row CT and the one going on now in San Francisco. Over the last several years, however, another issue -- patient radiation dose -- has surfaced, calling some MSCT applications into question. Any concerns about radiation dose are vastly outweighed, however, by the benefits of CT when it comes to dealing with trauma patients.

The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition has introduced an attractive new website designed to inform the public about the clinical capabilities and political controversies that surround diagnostic imaging practice.

As researchers and clinicians gather to discuss the latest developments in advanced CT imaging, it is ironic that the new capabilities on exhibit here could become more affordable than ever for those in a position to acquire them.

Over the past quarter century, exposure to ionizing radiation from medical procedures in the U.S. has grown sevenfold, according to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. CT is a major source.

Over the past quarter century, exposure to ionizing radiation from medical procedures in the U.S. has grown sevenfold, according to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. CT is a major source.

CT exams are not routinely ordered for pregnant women, but may be necessary to detect suspected life-threatening conditions, such as bleeding in the brain, blood clots in the lungs, or appendicitis. The use of CT to do such studies has grown enormously over the last decade. A study published March 17 in the online edition of Radiology found that CT exams on pregnant women increased 25.3% per year from 1997 to 2006.

Technical innovations that were first rolled out at the 2008 RSNA six months ago will be reintroduced to the medical imaging community driving improved clinical applications highlighted at the 2009 International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT May 19 to 22.

Despite a dismal start to 2009, most U.S. hospital radiology administrators expect restrictions against capital acquisitions to ease, giving them a chance to address their most pressing needs and acquire diagnostic imaging equipment later this year.

Other headlines:Merge strikes Chinese allianceTomoTherapy revenues drop

Bucking the tide of medical professional opinion, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has decided against granting payment for CT colonography as a screening test for colorectal cancer. CMS ruled Tuesday that the clinical evidence remains inadequate to conclude that CTC is appropriate for that role.

Multiple studies have shown CT colonography to be just as efficacious and cost-effective as colonoscopy for colon cancer screening. Now Italian and U.S. researchers have found that CTC also does something colonoscopy cannot: simultaneously detect colorectal cancer and abdominal aortic aneurysms.

For years, high radiation dose exposure has been the bogeyman that kept the cardiac CT triple rule-out exam for chest pain from widespread application. That concern has been addressed with the use of radiation dose reduction techniques, according to a Thomas Jefferson University study.

GE launched today Healthymagination, a six-year initiative that will redirect half of its $1 billion healthcare R&D budget toward driving down the cost of healthcare while boosting access to improved care through technology and service innovations in the U.S. and around the world.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has launched an effort to create a running total of how much medical radiation patients are exposed to over time by issuing smart cards and modifying electronic medical records.

Financial penalties would be enforced against physicians who frequently recommend inappropriate medical imaging under a set of policy options outlined in a potentially influential report issued April 30 by the Senate Finance Committee.

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Seriously injured patients have a better chance of surviving multiple trauma when they are evaluated in the emergency room with whole-body CT, according to a study of more than 4500 cases from Germany.

InSight buys two Boston area centers

The American College of Radiology Imaging Network will expand its research scope beyond cancer to add applications that advance clinical care in areas such as neuro and cardiovascular imaging.