Basic Image Interpretation Research Articles

Point-of-care ultrasonography for the hospitalist.

Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) has emerged as a vital tool in medicine. Initially used for procedural guidance, POCUS is now used for diagnostics and monitoring of the lung, heart, abdomen, and deep vein thrombosis. This wide applicability makes it an essential tool for hospitalists in daily clinical practice. This article provides an overview of the clinical integration of POCUS and basic image interpretation.

Intravascular Imaging-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Universal Approach for Optimization of Stent Implantation.

Despite consistent clinical data supporting the use of intravascular imaging with percutaneous coronary intervention, utilization remains low. A practical and standardized approach to incorporating intravascular imaging with percutaneous coronary intervention may overcome the barriers to utilization. This review focuses on basic image interpretation with intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography and proposes an algorithmic approach to stent sizing and optimization. Incorporation of this strategic method for percutaneous coronary intervention may aid in the greater adoption of intravascular imaging for percutaneous coronary intervention.

Pediatric radiologist-driven didactics for a pediatric residency program: a quality initiative.

Pediatric residents exhibit knowledge gaps in appropriateness of imaging utilization. This study evaluates the value of radiologist-driven imaging education in a pediatric residency program. The primary goals of this educational program were to provide pediatric residents with resources such as the American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria, support optimal resource utilization and patient care, increase resident understanding of radiation risk, and determine the value of integrating radiologists into pediatric education. A needs assessment was performed in which the chief residents of a large pediatric program were surveyed. The consensus of chief residents was that a four-part lecture series delivered by a pediatric radiology fellow would be beneficial to the pediatric residents. Topics included general radiation risk as well as basic imaging topics in the chest, abdomen, neurological system, extremities and vasculature. Each lecture integrated appropriate ordering, ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable)/Image Gently, and basic image interpretation. Residents were asked, using a Likert scale, to rate their understanding of radiation risk, the ACR Appropriateness Criteria, and other topics of interest before and after each lecture. Pediatric residents were given a 10-item quiz before and after the lecture series to assess their knowledge regarding the best test to order in clinical scenarios. The average pre-lecture score for knowledge of radiation risk was 3.27 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.02-3.51) out of 5, which improved to 4.27 (95% CI: 4.09-4.57) post-lecture. There was an increase in understanding of ACR appropriateness, with pre-lecture rating of knowledge increasing from 1.91 (95% CI 1.54-2.29) out of 5 to 3.61 (95% CI 3.33-3.90) post-lecture. The residents averaged 82.7% (95% CI 77.3%-88.1%) on the appropriateness pre-test and 93.8% (95% CI 90.3%-97.2%) on the post-test. Residents provided positive feedback upon conclusion of the program and reported a beneficial effect on their education. A radiologist-driven lecture series in a pediatric residency can improve resident understanding of appropriate ordering practices and radiation risk. Radiologist participation in pediatric residency training is well-received.

Medical Student Performance After a Vertically Integrated Radiology Clerkship

PurposeProper selection of imaging examinations and basic image interpretation skills are essential for all physicians, yet only approximately 25% of US medical schools require clerkships in radiology. Although there is limited time in most medical school curricula to allow the addition of a required radiology clerkship, the authors developed one that is vertically integrated over a two-year period. This clerkship includes one week of contact with radiologists distributed over the M2 and M3 years, podcasts, online modules, required readings, and presentations. A standard national examination is administered at the end of the clerkship period. This clerkship was designed to address the educational needs of students while occupying minimal time in the curriculum. The purpose of this study was to determine if students completing this clerkship perform as well on a national radiology examination as students from other medical schools, regardless of their curricula. MethodsAt the end of the M3 year, these students take a computer-based radiology examination developed by the Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology and used by students at multiple medical schools nationally. The mean and median scores of these students were compared with those of students at these other institutions. ResultsThe mean and median scores of the students were 74% and 74% (standard deviation, 7.5%) compared with 74% and 50% (standard deviation, 8.4%) at other institutions. ConclusionsStudents completing this vertically integrated radiology clerkship had test scores comparable with those of students at other medical schools.

SAT0416 Interreader-reliability of standardized evaluation of ICG-enhanced fluorescence-optical imaging

BackgroundInterpretation of medical images needs to be standardized and trained. This applies also to fluorescence-optical imaging (FOI), a novel tool for assessment of inflammation in patients with arthritis (1). In...

Application of satellite remote sensing in natural hazard management: The Mount Mangart landslide case study

The use of remote sensing is becoming increasingly frequent in environmental studies. Recently, there has been almost no serious research of the environment performed without advanced image processing and analysis. One of the most important applications of remote sensing can be found in the case of natural disasters, where satellite imagery can be a valuable data source used in order to support rescue operations and damage estimation. With advanced studies, remote sensing can also be used to predict catastrophic events and to determine hazardous areas. This paper commences with a review of the remote sensing applications in natural hazard monitoring. Several case studies are presented, ranging from the El Ni@o devastation analysis and inundation area determination to forest fire detection and landslide observation. The Mount Mangart landslide case study is then described in greater detail. Some general remarks on landslide development are depicted and its consequences are described. A short outline of the 'Space and Major Disasters' Charter, which presented the framework for the remote sensing application to the event, is also given. Details on processing optical (SPOT, Landsat) and radar (ERS, RADARSAT) satellite imagery are presented. Both basic image interpretation and advanced GIS integration and analysis are described. The paper ends with a few general remarks on the usability of remote sensing in hazard studies and the 'Space and Major Disasters' Charter.

Safety of Spinal Endoscopy Is Contingent On Basic Image Interpretation

Safety of Spinal Endoscopy Is Contingent On Basic Image Interpretation