Imaging Of Trauma Research Articles

Radiology resident proficiency in pediatric trauma cases: a comparative analysis based on trauma center status using the WIDI SIM exam.

To investigate the correlation between pediatric and adult trauma center status and radiology resident performance on pediatric trauma cases using the WIDI SIM exam. The WIDI SIM is a validated computer-aided simulation that assesses radiology residents' preparedness for independent call duty. It includes 65 cases across various imaging modalities derived from actual patient encounters. Faculty score free-text responses using a standardized 0-10 scale rubric. We analyzed 8,488 WIDI SIM exam scores from 35 pediatric trauma cases across 52 programs. A negative binomial regression model adjusting for resident level, imaging modality, and case specialty was employed to evaluate the impact of pediatric and adult trauma center status on resident performance. Both pediatric trauma center status (p = 0.0005) and adult trauma center status (p = 0.0003) were significant predictors of higher resident scores. Resident level was also significant, with higher-level residents performing better than first-year residents (p < 0.001). Residents performed worse on MR and US modalities compared to CT, and performance varied by case specialty. Radiology residents' pediatric trauma imaging skills are significantly linked to pediatric and adult trauma center status. Given most pediatric traumas occur outside pediatric trauma centers, targeted training strategies should be considered to ensure residents develop essential diagnostic skills.

Team behaviour in interprofessional collaboration during trauma alerts: A critical incident study from the perspective of radiographers.

Challenges in mutual awareness in interprofessional collaboration (IPC) along with relational and cultural barriers among professionals disrupt flow and delay decision-making in trauma care. Thus, this study explores team behaviours within IPC in trauma teams during trauma alerts from the perspective of radiographers. A qualitative approach was used with a critical incident technique (CIT) design applying interviews with radiographers within three hospitals in Sweden from May 2022 to May 2023. CIT analysis was conducted with an abductive approach, applying an IPC core competency framework. The results present collaborative requirements in trauma care from radiographers' perspective narrating a distribution of team behaviours within trauma team collaboration and fundamental skills in IPC. Behaviours within interprofessional values and ethics were the most reported incidents related to valuing radiographers' contributions to IPC in acute trauma care. Exploring behaviour through critical incidents associated with core competencies of IPC highlights the importance of interprofessional values as a foundation for successful IPC in the trauma team. The results show deficiencies in inclusive behaviour, influenced by the hierarchical environment of IPC. Power imbalances in this setting are traced to differences in perceived value and shared understanding among team members, possibly rooted in professional identity and culture. A dedicated leader is argued, as the recognition of radiographers' scope of practice in trauma imaging, emphasising the significance of shared decision-making. The findings highlight organisational and relational coordination challenges for optimising competencies in IPC. IPC's success requires reinforcing values and ethics by empowering members' contributions and shared decision-making. This involves clarifying and recognising responsibilities, particularly for radiographers, ensuring their role in trauma imaging is respected and integrated into decision-making.

232 A Multimodal Quality Improvement Intervention to Reduce Head and Cervical Spine Trauma Imaging

232 A Multimodal Quality Improvement Intervention to Reduce Head and Cervical Spine Trauma Imaging

Utility of pelvic CT angiography in blunt pelvic trauma

PurposeTo assess the clinical utility of pelvic computed tomography angiography (CTA) in predicting the need for intervention following blunt traumatic pelvic vascular injury, independent of other trauma severity assessment metrics. Materials and methodsThis retrospective study was IRB approved and HIPAA compliant; informed consent was waived. Eligible patients presented with blunt abdominopelvic trauma and underwent triple-phase pelvic CTA on admission from 1/1/2006 - 8/31/2019. Of the 21,162 eligible patients, 350 met criteria (males 225, females 125, mean age 42 years, range 11-96 years). Vessels were evaluated for contrast extravasation, occlusion, narrowing/spasm, dissection, and pseudoaneurysm. Fisher's exact test was used to compare differences in outcome based on vascular injury on CTA. Results74 of 350 (21%) patients demonstrated vascular injury on CTA. 65 had arterial extravasation, 12 had venous injury, 3 had thrombosis, 3 had pseudoaneurysm, 1 had dissection, and 16 had arterial narrowing/spasm.42 of 65 (65%) patients with active arterial extravasation on pelvic CTA underwent conventional angiography, and 31 demonstrated active bleeding requiring intervention; 5 patients without extravasation underwent negative conventional angiographies. None of the 276 patients without active arterial extravasation received intervention, and all survived. Contrast extravasation on admission pelvic CTA significantly predicted the need for direct intervention and overall mortality (p<0.0001). ConclusionPelvic CTA can be safely implemented in trauma imaging protocols to diagnose vascular injury and determine the need for subsequent intervention. Absence of contrast extravasation on CTA precludes the need for further intervention, independent of newer trauma severity assessment metrics.

A quality assessment tool for focused abdominal sonography for trauma examinations using artificial intelligence.

Current tools to review focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) images for quality have poorly defined grading criteria or are developed to grade the skills of the sonographer and not the examination. The purpose of this study is to establish a grading system with substantial agreement among coders, thereby enabling the development of an automated assessment tool for FAST examinations using artificial intelligence (AI). Five coders labeled a set of FAST clips. Each coder was responsible for a different subset of clips (10% of the clips were labeled in triplicate to evaluate intercoder reliability). The clips were labeled with a quality score from 1 (lowest quality) to 5 (highest quality). Clips of 3 or greater were considered passing. An AI training model was developed to score the quality of the FAST examination. The clips were split into a training set, a validation set, and a test set. The predicted scores were rounded to the nearest quality level to distinguish passing from failing clips. A total of 1,514 qualified clips (1,399 passing and 115 failing clips) were evaluated in the final data set. This final data set had a 94% agreement between pairs of coders on the pass/fail prediction, and the set had a Krippendorff α of 66%. The decision threshold can be tuned to achieve the desired tradeoff between precision and sensitivity. Without using the AI model, a reviewer would, on average, examine roughly 25 clips for every 1 failing clip identified. In contrast, using our model with a decision threshold of 0.015, a reviewer would examine roughly five clips for every one failing clip - a fivefold reduction in clips reviewed while still correctly identifying 85% of passing clips. Integration of AI holds significant promise in improving the accurate evaluation of FAST images while simultaneously alleviating the workload burden on expert physicians. Diagnostic Test/Criteria; Level II.

Imaging of Cervical Spine Trauma: Update of Techniques and Clinical Relevance.

Imaging of cervical spine trauma most commonly begins with computed tomography (CT) for initial osseous and basic soft tissue evaluation, followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for complementary evaluation of the neural structures (i.e., spinal cord, nerves) and soft tissues (i.e., ligaments). Although CT and conventional MRI sequences have been the mainstay of trauma imaging for decades, there have been significant advances in CT processing, imaging sequences and techniques made possible by hardware and software development, and artificial intelligence. These advancements may provide advantages in increasing sensitivity for detection of pathology as well as in decreasing imaging and interpretation time. Unquestionably, the most important role of imaging is to provide information to help direct patient care, including diagnosis, next steps in treatment plan, and prognosis. As such, there has been a growing body of research investigating the clinical relevance of imaging findings to clinical outcomes in the setting of spinal cord injury. This article will focus on these recent advances in imaging of cervical spinal trauma.

Trends in Radiation at a Level I Trauma Center.

Introduction Following traumatic injury, patients often require imaging modalities that subject them to large amounts of radiation. The current protocol for imaging workup in trauma patients includes plain radiographs and computed tomography (CT). Although these imaging modalities have improved quality and efficiency in trauma interventions, it is essential to understand their potential limitations and adverse effects.The large amounts of radiation from these imaging tests have raised concern for particularly vulnerable populations, including children and adolescents. Objective To evaluate the trends in radiation exposure in trauma assessment and imaging seen at a Level I trauma center. Methods This retrospective analysis used a de-identified dataset from the trauma registry at Desert Regional Medical Center Level I Trauma Center in Palm Springs, CA. Total radiation amounts were calculated based on the type of diagnostic modality. An effective radiation dose was assigned to each examination (radiograph and CT scan) based on the values provided by the American College of Radiology. Results There was a statistically significant positive correlation between injury severity scoreand effective radiation dose from imaging workup. From 2016 to 2021, radiation amount and year were found to be negatively correlated. There was a larger, statistically significant amount of radiation dosage among adult trauma patients (16.32 mSv) when compared to pediatric (6.32 mSv) and geriatric (12.67 mSv) groups. Conclusion Our Level I trauma center has observed a decline in radiation exposure with our current trauma protocols in place. On average, adult patients received the highest effective radiation dose to pediatric and geriatric patients. CT scans and radiography are essential tools in initial trauma workup and should be used only in appropriate patients.

Comparative Study of Computerized Tomography Imaging of Facial Trauma Using 2D and 3D Reconstruction Scans.

Background The article intends to compare the efficacy of detecting fractures of facial bones in terms of the number of fractures detected, single or multiple involvement, displaced or undisplaced, segmental involvement, and comminuted or non-comminuted using 2D computerized tomography (CT) versus 3DCT for planning optimum treatment. Methodology One hundred patients with suspected facial bone fractures sustained either by assault, road traffic accident, or self-fall on arrival to casualty were examined clinically. Subsequently, palpation was done to detect facial bone fractures. On suspicion, they were subjected to a CT scan of the face in both coronal and axial views. The results were interpreted in the form of bones involved and detection of fractures of the same on both 2D and 3D scans. The acquired images of fractures obtained by 2D scan were reconstructed using software to obtain virtual images of the same by 3D scan to help further delineate which fractures or combination of them are better appreciated on both scans. Result Out of 100 patients, 52 had maxilla fractures, which were better delineated by 3D scans. The detection of zygomatic arch fractures was almost equal on both scans. Mandibular and orbital fractures were better delineated by 3D scans. Conclusion To conclude, we believe that in maxillofacial trauma, 3DCT provides better information than 2DCT, especially with regard to the delineation of fractures and the involvement of single or multiple bones, as it gives a real-time picture of the same. This helpsin planning the management of patients, whether surgical intervention is required or can be managed conservatively.

Implementation and Interim Analysis of a Standardized Renal Trauma Imaging and Urinary Extravasation Management Protocol.

The AUA recommends delayed-phase imaging (DPI) in renal injuries to evaluate the collecting system. A renal trauma imaging protocol for early conservative management of urinary extravasation (UE) was implemented to improve guideline adherence. We aimed to determine if increased adherence led to changes in outcomes. Patients with American Association for the Surgery of Trauma III to V renal injury presenting from January 2018 to September 2022 were identified from an institutional trauma registry. Patients were included if a contrasted CT scan of the abdomen was obtained on admission. Frequency of DPI and patient outcomes were compared before and after protocol implementation. Of 223 included patients, 131 (58.7%) were pre protocol and 92 (41.3%) were post protocol. Following protocol implementation, the rate of DPI on admission nearly doubled from 32.8% to 58.7% (P < .001). The rate of follow-up cross-sectional imaging increased from 18.3% to 58.7% (P < .001). Although there were no significant differences in rates of immediate or delayed interventions following protocol implementation, the postprotocol immediate intervention rate did decrease to 0%. Readmissions due to symptomatic UE were unchanged after protocol implementation (0.0% vs 0.0%). Implementation of a multidisciplinary renal trauma early imaging and management protocol improved AUA guideline adherence. With protocol adherence, there was also an elimination of immediate interventions for UE. Despite decreases in early intervention, there was no significant increase in interval interventions or UE-related readmissions. More research is needed to determine the role for routine follow-up imaging in conservative management of high-grade renal trauma.

Traumatic Cervical Cerebrovascular Injury and the Role of CTA: AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review.

Traumatic cerebrovascular injury (CVI) involving the cervical carotid and vertebral arteries is rare but can lead to stroke, hemodynamic compromise, and mortality in the absence of early diagnosis and treatment. The diagnosis of both blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) and penetrating CVI is based on cerebrovascular imaging. The most commonly used screening criteria for BCVI include the expanded Denver criteria and the Memphis criteria, each providing varying thresholds for subsequent imaging. Neck CTA has supplanted catheter-based digital subtraction angiography as the preferred screening modality for CVI in patients with trauma. This AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review describes the current state of CTA-based cervical imaging in trauma. We review the most common screening criteria for BCVI, discuss BCVI grading scales that are based on neck CTA, describe the diagnostic performance of CTA in the context of other imaging modalities and evolving treatment strategies, and provide a practical guide for neck CTA implementation.

Attentional Biases and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Urges in Adolescents

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant clinical concern among adolescents. Exposure to NSSI-related content on social media platforms has been suspected to potentially act as a trigger for NSSI. To use free-viewing eye-tracking and dot-probe paradigms to examine attentional bias and psychophysiological responses to NSSI-related pictorial and textual stimuli in adolescents with and without a history of NSSI. From June 2022 to April 2023, adolescent participants in Vienna, Austria with and without a history of NSSI were exposed to NSSI-related stimuli in this nonrandomized controlled trial. Data were analyzed from December 2023 to January 2024. Exposure to NSSI-related stimuli. During both tasks, subjective arousal, NSSI urges, and autonomic nervous system activity were assessed. A total of 50 adolescents in 2 groups, 25 who engaged in NSSI (mean [SD] age 15.86 [1.14] years; 19 female participants [76%]) and 25 who did not (mean [SD] age 16.40 [1.71] years; 19 female participants [76%]) were included. Adolescents with a history of NSSI-but not those without a history of NSSI-showed a clear attentional bias toward NSSI-related images during eye-tracking, as indicated by increased initial fixations (500 ms stimulus presentation mean difference, 28.64%; 95% CI, 18.31%-38.98%; P < .001; 1000 ms stimulus presentation mean difference, 18.50%; 95% CI, 9.05%-27.95%; P < .001) and longer fixation durations (500 ms mean difference, 29.51 ms; 95% CI, 4.3-54.72 ms; P < .001; 1000 ms mean difference, 39.83 ms; 95% CI, 6.90-72.76 ms; P < .001), regardless of stimulus duration. This bias was associated with a heightened urge to engage in NSSI (d = 1.22; 95% CI, 0.69-1.73; P < .001), a trend not seen in adolescents without a history of NSSI. Similarly, in the dot-probe task, only the NSSI group showed an attentional bias toward NSSI images but not toward trauma images, emphasizing the specificity of their attentional bias. Physiological measures revealed no significant differences, suggesting that viewing NSSI images is not associated with increased autonomic arousal. Textual NSSI content did not provoke an attentional bias or heighten NSSI urges in either group. In this nonrandomized controlled trial of 50 adolescents, results highlighted a specific attentional bias toward NSSI-related pictorial stimuli in adolescents with a history of NSSI, particularly a difficulty in disengaging from NSSI images. These findings contribute to understanding maladaptive information processing in NSSI and suggest implications for clinical management and cognitive models addressing NSSI triggers. German Clinical Trials Register identifier: DRKS00025905.

CETARS/CAR Practice Guideline on Imaging the Pregnant Trauma Patient.

Imaging of pregnant patients who sustained trauma often causes fear and confusion among patients, their families, and health care professionals regarding the potential for detrimental effects from radiation exposure to the fetus. Unnecessary delays or potentially harmful avoidance of the justified imaging studies may result from this understandable anxiety. This guideline was developed by the Canadian Emergency, Trauma and Acute Care Radiology Society (CETARS) and the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Working Group on Imaging the Pregnant Trauma Patient, informed by a literature review as well as multidisciplinary expert panel opinions and discussions. The working group included academic subspecialty radiologists, a trauma team leader, an emergency physician, and an obstetriciangynaecologist/maternal fetal medicine specialist, who were brought together to provide updated, evidence-based recommendations for the imaging of pregnant trauma patients, including patient safety aspects (eg, radiation and contrast concerns) and counselling, initial imaging in maternal trauma, specific considerations for the use of fluoroscopy, angiography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The guideline strives to achieve clarity and prevent added anxiety in an already stressful situation of injury to a pregnant patient, who should not be imaged differently.

The weekend effect in geriatric traumatic brain injury in tertiary hospital: an observational study

IntroductionThere were no previous studies discussing the comparison of the complications among traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases during weekdays and weekends. The current study aims to retrospectively compare the TBI outcome of geriatric patients on weekdays versus weekends in the neurosurgery department in a tertiary hospital in Oman.MethodsThis is a retrospective study, from December 2015 to December 2019. Medical records of 670 patients above 65 years and admitted to the neurosurgery ward were reviewed. From that, only 45 patients over 65 years, diagnosed with TBI and managed surgically were included.ResultsThe study included 28 patients admitted during weekdays and 17 patients admitted during weekends. Nevertheless, the highest number of admissions was during Friday. The male-to-female ratio was 3.6:1 during weekdays and 3.2:1 during weekends. The average length of stay (LOS) was 12.4 days among patients operated on weekdays compared to 36.5 days on weekends. For average ICU stay, it was 3.9 days during weekdays compared to 32.2 during weekends (p = 0.011). Complications were found to be more common among patients admitted on weekends (p = 0.015).ConclusionSignificant differences between weekdays and weekends were found. So, more trauma imaging facilities and neurosurgeons need to be available during the weekends.

Conversion of T2-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Images of Cervical Spine Trauma to Short T1 Inversion Recovery (STIR) Images by Generative Adversarial Network.

The short T1 inversion recovery (STIR) sequence is advantageous for visualizing ligamentous injuries, but the STIR sequence may be missing in some cases. The purpose of this study was to generate synthetic STIR images from MRI T2-weighted images (T2WI) of patients with cervical spine trauma using a generative adversarial network (GAN). Methods: A total of 969 pairs of T2WI and STIR images were extracted from 79 patients with cervical spine trauma. The synthetic model was trained 100 times, and the performance of the model was evaluated with five-fold cross-validation. Results: As for quantitative validation, the structural similarity score was 0.519±0.1 and the peak signal-to-noise ratio score was 19.37±1.9 dB. As for qualitative validation, the incorporation of synthetic STIR images generated by a GAN alongside T2WI substantially enhances sensitivity in the detection of interspinous ligament injuries, outperforming assessments reliant solely on T2WI. The GAN model can generate synthetic STIRs from T2 images of cervical spine trauma using image-to-image conversion techniques. The use of a combination of synthetic STIR images generated by a GAN and T2WI improves sensitivity in detecting interspinous ligament injuries compared to assessments that use only T2WI.

Early Images of Trauma in George Eliot’s The Lifted Veil

This paper explores George Eliot’s The Lifted Veil (1859) as an early portrayal of traumatic neurosis, providing a fresh perspective to enhance the existing scholarly attention on trauma in Eliot’s Daniel Deronda. To illustrate potential contemporary diagnoses for Latimer, I examine other prevalent mid-nineteenth-century models of mental pathology, including phrenology, mesmerism, and hemispheric brain disunity. Drawing on Pierre Janet’s trauma theories from the late nineteenth century, I argue that Eliot presents an early portrayal of dissociative trauma through Latimer’s psychological experiences. Latimer’s visions, complex dream-like interactions, and involuntary consciousness splitting provide a framework for understanding dissociation in response to his emotionally traumatic loss of his mother. Eliot’s exploration of dissociation anticipates Pierre Janet’s theories, which underpin contemporary understandings of trauma, revealing a remarkable modernity in Eliot’s approach.

Applications of dual-energy CT in acute musculoskeletal and trauma imaging-a review.

Recent advances in computed tomography have resulted in new applications of CT scans in musculoskeletal imaging. Dual-energy CT technology involves the acquisition of data at high and low kilovolts, allowing differentiation and quantification of materials with different X-ray absorption. Newer CT scanners with a variety of post-processing options allow interesting applications of dual-energy CT in musculoskeletal and trauma imaging. This article provides an overview of the basic principles and physics of DECT. We review applications of DECT in the evaluation of the acute painful joint with suspicion of gout, metal artefact reduction in the prosthetic joint and in imaging of patients following major trauma. We present a review of literature and case examples to illustrate the strengths and limitations of this modality in the diagnosis of acute musculoskeletal conditions.

Applications of Deep Learning in Trauma Radiology: A Narrative Review

Diagnostic imaging is essential in modern trauma care for initial evaluation and identifying injuries requiring intervention. Deep learning (DL) has become mainstream in medical image analysis and has shown promising efficacy for classification, segmentation, and lesion detection. This narrative review provides the fundamental concepts for developing DL algorithms in trauma imaging and presents an overview of current progress in each modality. DL has been applied to detect free fluid on Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST), traumatic findings on chest and pelvic X-rays, and computed tomography (CT) scans, identify intracranial hemorrhage on head CT, detect vertebral fractures, and identify injuries to organs like the spleen, liver, and lungs on abdominal and chest CT. Future directions involve expanding dataset size and diversity through federated learning, enhancing model explainability and transparency to build clinician trust, and integrating multimodal data to provide more meaningful insights into traumatic injuries. Though some commercial artificial intelligence products are Food and Drug Administration-approved for clinical use in the trauma field, adoption remains limited, highlighting the need for multi-disciplinary teams to engineer practical, real-world solutions. Overall, DL shows immense potential to improve the efficiency and accuracy of trauma imaging, but thoughtful development and validation are critical to ensure these technologies positively impact patient care.

What Is the Relationship Between Maxillofacial Injury Location and Associated Injuries?

BackgroundPatients sustaining maxillofacial fractures are at risk for associated injuries to other body regions. The incidence of associated injuries (AIs) is reported to be from 20 to 35%. AIs may be life-threating and play a key role in considering first-line management at the emergency department, as well as planning the definitive treatment of maxillofacial fractures. PurposeThe study aimed to determine the frequency and risk factors for AIs in patients with maxillofacial fractures. Study design, settings, sampleThe investigators designed and implemented a retrospective cohort study of patients with facial fractures treated at Central Hospital (Lahti, Finland) from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2019. All adult patients with verified maxillofacial fractures were included. Patients under 18 years were excluded from the study. Predictor variableThe predictor variable was the location of the maxillofacial fractures grouped into three categories, mandible alone, midface alone, both midface and mandible. Main outcome variableThe primary outcome variable was associated body region injuries coded as present or absent. The secondary outcome variable was the location of the AI categorized as skull, neck, thorax, pelvis, or extremity injuries. CovariatesOther study variables included demographic data (age, sex, alcohol use), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and etiology (fall, traffic- and bicycle accident, assault, pedestrian hit by motor vehicle, work-related, or sports/free-time injuries). AnalysesContinuous variables were analyzed for normal distribution using the Shapiro-Wilks test and compared with categorical variables using the Mann-Whitney test. The univariate analyses of categorical variables were analyzed by the x2 test (P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant). ResultsDuring the study period, 443 adult (≥18) patients had maxillofacial fractures. AIs were present in 88 subjects (20%). The mean age was 47.6 years (range 18-91); 52 years with AIs (range 19-91), and 47 years (range 18-92) without AIs (p = 0.03). Subjects with midface and mandible + midface fractures had greater risk to AIs compared to mandibular fractures. (RR 2.0, p=0.002, RR 2.8, p=0.009). Conclusions and RelevancyEvery fifth maxillofacial trauma patient had associated injury. Trauma patients should be evaluated in institutions with trauma protocols and imaging modalities before determining and executing the treatment plan for maxillofacial fractures.

Utility of F-15 diuretic MAG3 renography in assessment of paediatric hydronephrosis

Diuretic renography is crucial in evaluation of paediatric hydronephrosis. Furosemide is conventionally given 15-20min after radiolabelled tracer (F+15/F+20 protocol), however this is equivocal in around 15% of patients. Giving furosemide 15min prior to tracer (F-15 MAG3 protocol) has been suggested as an additional tool in the investigation of patients with suspected upper urinary tract obstruction. However, the role of this method in assessment and management of paediatric hydronephrosis is not widely reported. To investigate utility of F-15 renograms in children with hydronephrosis being assessed for Pelvi-Ureteric Junction Obstruction (PUJO). Retrospective review of patients <16 years old undergoing F-15 MAG3 renogram between 2018 and 2021 in our tertiary paediatric surgical centre. Data collected included patient demographics, mode of presentation, investigations, management and outcomes. Eighteen patients were included. Median age at F-15 renogram was 7.3 years. Eleven patients presented with antenatal hydronephrosis, 5 with symptoms in childhood and 2 with incidental hydronephrosis on trauma imaging. Fourteen patients were symptomatic. Ten had a prior non-obstructed F+20 renogram but persisting symptoms suggestive of PUJO. Seven had previous equivocal F+20 renograms. One symptomatic patient directly underwent an F-15 renogram. A conclusive result was obtained in 16/18 (89%); 11 patients had obstructed curves and 5 non-obstructed. Two asymptomatic patients' scans were inconclusive. All symptomatic patients had conclusive scans. Of 11 patients with an obstructed F-15, 9 have undergone pyeloplasty to date. All have had post-operative resolution in symptoms and static or improved post-operative ultrasound. One patient with an inconclusive scan underwent pyeloplasty due to persisting hydronephrosis and parent preference. Three patients with non-obstructed F-15 renograms have been discharged. One symptomatic patient with a non-obstructive F-15 had a ureteric stent inserted due to persistent flank pain; 1 continues under surveillance. It is known that conventional F+20 MAG3 renograms can give equivocal results. Published experience suggests that F-15 renograms are conclusive in the majority of patients. Routine primary use is, however, discouraged as they can 'over diagnose' obstruction and limit the study of tracer transit under physiological flow rates. This study indicates that the F-15 renogram is a useful adjunct in the assessment of patients with symptoms suggestive of PUJO who have previously had an equivocal or a non-obstructed F+20 renogram. F-15 renogram was conclusive in 89% of patients. We recommend using F-15 renograms to aid surgical decision-making in children with equivocal F+20 renograms, especially in the presence of symptoms.

Radiographers' conceptualisation of trauma imaging in Gauteng, South Africa.

Radiographers form part of the healthcare team and are integral in the diagnosis and treatment of trauma patients. Additionally, they are required to provide their services to multiple departments within the hospital, including the emergency department. Healthcare workers who work with trauma patients experience changes in their psychological functioning. Therefore, diagnostic radiographers may have similar experiences; however, limited studies were found on radiographers' conceptualisation of trauma imaging. The aim of this study was to explore and describe radiographers' conceptualisation of trauma imaging. One-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted virtually with radiographers in both the private and public healthcare sectors in Gauteng, South Africa. In this qualitative, explorative and descriptive study, 20 radiographers were interviewed virtually through Zoom or WhatsApp video calls or telephone interviews. Participants were asked a central question: 'What does trauma imaging mean to you?' Detailed notes were taken during the interviews, and interviews were audio-recorded. The data was transcribed and underwent thematic analysis. Trustworthiness and ethical principles were adhered to throughout the study. Thematic analysis identified four themes: (1) COVID-19 pandemic; (2) road accidents; (3) gender-based violence (GBV); and (4) paediatric injuries that participants conceptualised as trauma imaging. Participants conceptualised trauma imaging as COVID-19, road accidents, GBV and paediatric patients. It was noted that participants' personal experiences were significant contributors to their meaning-making and responses to trauma imaging. The study has contributed to the understanding of the conceptualisation of trauma imaging from the perspective of diagnostic radiographers.