Computed tomography imaging is being performed more often among adults in the ED who have fallen, but may be unnecessary in many cases.
Computed tomography scanning may be overused among adults admitted to emergency departments because of falls, according to a study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MMN sought to evaluate trends in CT use among adult patients admitted to EDs after a fall. The study included 22,166 patients who presented in the ED from 2001 to 2010.
The researchers looked at CT use and the proportion of visits that had life-threatening conditions, such as intracranial hemorrhage, organ laceration, and axial skeletal fractures, after the falls. They also studied the association between CT use and demographic characteristics and admission status of the patients.
The results showed a 2.5-fold increase in CT use in this patient group over the study period.
“When demographic and clinical variables were controlled for, increasing year was independently associated with CT utilization,” the authors concluded. “These findings suggest that CT may be overutilized among adult fall patients.”
Can Polyenergetic Reconstruction Help Resolve Streak Artifacts in Photon Counting CT?
July 22nd 2024New research looking at photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) demonstrated significantly reduced variation and tracheal air density attenuation with polyenergetic reconstruction in contrast to monoenergetic reconstruction on chest CT.
Systematic Review: PET/MRI May be More Advantageous than PET/CT in Cancer Imaging
July 18th 2024While PET/MRI and PET/CT had comparable sensitivity for patient-level regional nodal metastases and lesion-level recurrence, the authors of a systematic review noted that PET/MRI had significantly higher accuracy in breast cancer and colorectal cancer staging.
The Reading Room: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Cancer Screenings, and COVID-19
November 3rd 2020In this podcast episode, Dr. Shalom Kalnicki, from Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discusses the disparities minority patients face with cancer screenings and what can be done to increase access during the pandemic.
FDA Clears Enhanced Mobile CT System with High-Resolution Photon-Counting Technology
July 15th 2024Photon-counting CT-optimized features with the OmniTom Elite system include 30 cm field of view scanning, continuous spiral scanning, and an ultra-high-resolution capability of 0.141 mm resolution.