Resources: Page 500

Lack of risk factors, D-dimer results rule out PE

Monday, November 30 | 11:35 a.m.-11:45 a.m. | VC21-15 | Room S103CDWhile CT angiography (CTA) is the modality of choice for pulmonary embolism (PE), it is over-ordered, costly, and produces high radiation exposure. California researchers sought to determine the positivity rate of CTA, and whether thromboembolic risk factors can accurately indicate pretest PE probability.

November 15, 2009

High-pitch imaging cuts cardiac CT dose, improves image quality

Tuesday, December 1 | 11:10 a.m.-11:20 a.m. | SSG18-05 | Room S403ABPhase-correlated imaging procedures represent the state of the art for cardiac CT angiography; however, the technique requires low pitch factors that increase the applied dose. In this study to be presented on Tuesday, researchers from Germany evaluated the potential benefits of high-pitch acquisition schemes.

November 15, 2009

Prospectively triggered CT angiography takes on patients with arrhythmias

Monday, November 30 | 11:10 a.m.-11:20 a.m. | SSC01-05 | Room S502ABWhile prospective electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggering typically applies just a fraction of radiation exposure used in retrospective ECG gating, it also comes with two historical disadvantages -- solutions for which will be discussed in this scientific session presentation.

November 15, 2009

Dose-length product more accurate for measuring cardiac CT dose

Monday, November 30 | 10:40 a.m.-10:50 a.m. | SSC02-02 | Room S503ABGlobal chest CT conversion factors, which are often used to calculate effective dose at cardiac CT, do not account for the variability of dose distribution with the procedure, according to radiation physicist Walter Huda, Ph.D., from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

November 15, 2009

Ultralow-dose 256-detector-row VC maintains sensitivity

Sunday, November 29 | 12:05 p.m.-12:15 p.m. | SSA08-09 | Room E353AData indicate that virtual colonoscopy is safe, and the standard low radiation dose is not likely to be important in the ≥ 50-year-old population who may undergo the exam for screening. Nevertheless, using the lowest possible dose is desirable, and results from this study indicate image quality can be maintained with 256-detector-row VC while dose is reduced.

November 15, 2009

Contrast exposure in utero shows little effect on thyroid function

Sunday, November 29 | 11:15 a.m.-11:25 a.m. | SSA09-04 | Room E351Citing concerns about the risk of thyroid dysfunction in newborns after they are exposed in utero to iodinated contrast media, researchers from Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, RI, tested contrast-exposed neonates for answers.

November 15, 2009

Road to RSNA 2009: CT Preview

November 15, 2009

BI-RADS concept applicable for neck CT patients

By Kate Madden Yee

Tuesday, December 1 | 3:50 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. | SSJ11-06 | Room S102DIf it works, don't fix it: The BI-RADS concept used in mammography translates to other areas of oncology imaging, particularly neck CT, and just may improve radiology reporting in this area, according to researchers from the University of Washington Medical Center.

November 11, 2009

Are referring physicians really listening?

By Cynthia E. Keen

Tuesday, December 1 | 11:00 a.m.-11:10 a.m. | SSG10-04 | Room S402ABAre referring physicians responding to recommendations for additional imaging procedures by radiologists? Precise answers to this age-old question -- made more difficult by the reduction of direct radiologist and physician communication that resulted from conversion to RIS and PACS -- can now be obtained through the implementation of electronic medical records.

November 11, 2009

Lack of self-referral hurts radiologists' post-DRA volume

By Wayne Forrest

Wednesday, December 2 | 3:40 p.m.-3:50 p.m. | SSM12-05 | Room S102DIf there was any doubt how the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 would affect procedure volume for radiologists, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have confirmed that private-office imaging volume decreased 2% in 2007, reversing annual growth of 8.4% from 2002 to 2006.

November 11, 2009

RBMs can effectively curb imaging utilization

By Kate Madden Yee

Wednesday, December 2 | 3:30 p.m.- 3:40 p.m. | SSM12-04 | Room S102DRadiology benefits management (RBM) firms spark mixed responses among industry watchers, with some saying the model is an effective way to curb imaging use, and others saying it gets in the way of quality patient care.

November 11, 2009

Mathematical modeling helps make CT schedule more efficient and profitable

By Kate Madden Yee

Wednesday, December 2 | 3:10 p.m.- 3:20 p.m. | SSM12-02 | Room S102DIn a busy trauma center, determining how to schedule CT exams in the most effective way can be difficult. University of Washington researchers will share findings from a study that evaluated radiology scheduling policies using computer simulations and operations research tools to identify potential efficiency and quality improvements.

November 11, 2009

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