Dear AuntMinnie Member,
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a black box warning for echocardiography contrast agents in October 2007, it dropped a bombshell on users of the nascent technology. Now echo contrast advocates are getting organized and lobbying the FDA to rethink the move.
That's according to a new article by contributing writer Cynthia Keen that we're featuring this week in our Ultrasound Digital Community. According to the story, echo contrast's defenders believe that the black box warning was unnecessary, and are hoping to convince the FDA to change its mind.
The backstory to the campaign is the low utilization of cardiac ultrasound contrast in the U.S. The technology has been slow to catch on for several reasons, even though proponents believe it adds invaluable information to echo exams. They fear that if the FDA warning stands, it could further delay or even permanently kill the technology as a clinical tool in the U.S. Get the rest of the details on the story by clicking here.
In other news in the community, staff writer Erik L. Ridley reports on whether a systematic musculoskeletal ultrasound exam can identify symptomatic abnormalities. U.S. researchers used a formalized checklist to evaluate structures in each body part and joint. Learn what they found by clicking here.
In addition, French researchers report on their use of Doppler echo to identify pathology in the left and right heart in an article you can reach by clicking here, or visit our Ultrasound Digital Community at ultrasound.auntminnie.com.
Finally, the new year is often seen as a time of introspection and self-improvement. What better way to get new insight into your inner workings by taking our personality test? Working in conjunction with radiology researcher Dr. Bruce Reiner, we've assembled a survey that investigates the connection between career choices and personality traits among radiology professionals.
By participating in the study you'll be helping answer an important research question, and you'll also get a free report that compares your responses to those of your peers. Participation is totally anonymous. To get started, just go to personality.auntminnie.com.
