Dear Digital X-Ray Insider,
You've heard of dose creep, but what about "collimation creep"? The phenomenon is an unfortunate side effect of the conversion to digital x-ray and deserves to be addressed, according to a new study we're highlighting as this edition's Insider Exclusive -- an article you receive before the rest of our members.
Collimation creep occurs when radiologic technologists and radiographers adopt lax patient positioning techniques for digital radiography (DR) studies and instead resort to cropping images after acquisition to produce more aesthetically pleasing images. It may sound harmless, but the practice can result in higher radiation dose to patients compared with the use of proper positioning and collimation techniques.
In other news in the Digital X-Ray Community, a recent market research study by IMV Medical Information Division found that DR now makes up 80% of the installed base of radiography systems in the U.S. That's up from 50% in 2015 and demonstrates that radiology's last analog modality is moving firmly into the digital frontier.
The improved performance, speed, and versatility of DR over analog x-ray is a major contributor to the shift. But the passage of U.S. legislation in 2016 that mandates cuts in reimbursement for procedures performed on analog equipment has also given the digitization trend a boost.
The conversion of x-ray to digital is creating the opportunity for a host of new technologies to be applied to digital images. One of these is artificial intelligence (AI). Researchers from Canada applied an AI algorithm to analyze pediatric x-rays to find cases of incorrectly positioned catheters.
And in the realm of interventional radiology, a group from Johns Hopkins University used bariatric embolization under imaging guidance to treat obese patients -- eliminating feelings of hunger in many of them.
Finally, a thought-provoking story was making headlines as we went to press, in which radiography provides evidence of young adults developing bony growths on their skulls due to what could be excessive use of handheld devices. The lay press has quickly dubbed these growths "horns," and while the claim is a bit sensational, the truth nonetheless makes for fascinating reading.
Disclosure notice: IMV Medical Information Division is a sister company of AuntMinnie.com.
