Dear CT Insider,
As of April 8, more than 400,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the U.S., and over 13,000 people have died. Healthcare officials expect a surge of cases over the next few weeks, begging the question: Is the radiology department ready for an onslaught of patients?
It's an especially pertinent question for CT, since the modality is a valuable tool for identifying COVID-19. Researchers from the University of Southern California have a blueprint for preparing for a "mass casualty incident" like the COVID-19 pandemic that describes how the department can ensure that CT imaging is available and that staff and patients are protected from transmission of the virus. Check out what they have to suggest in our Insider Exclusive.
Once you've read our featured story, take a look at our coverage of tips Singapore radiologists are offering from their experience dealing with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. Spoiler alert: Infection control is key, writes a team from the country's National University Hospital.
Clinicians from China are at the heart of research on COVID-19, and we're covering their findings in a number of articles. Check out what researchers from Wenzhou have found about chest CT's effectiveness when it comes to boosting the accuracy of artificial intelligence for predicting COVID-19 severity, what a team from Yichang has to say about what CT severity scores can reveal about the extent of the illness, and what clinicians from Wuhan have discovered regarding whether deep learning can help CT's performance when it comes to quantifying lung opacification caused by the disease.
In other CT news, a report from IMV Medical Information Division has found that in 2019, the number of CT procedures in the U.S. performed without contrast has exceeded those done with contrast -- a trend driven in part by improved CT scanner technology and concerns about the potential side effects of contrast use. And a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine has found that a simple intervention can cut CT radiation dose by as much as 58%.
Hankering for more news about the technology? We've got you covered at our CT Community.
Disclosure: AuntMinnie.com is a sister company of IMV Medical Information Division.
