Dear AuntMinnie Member,
One of our favorite columnists, Dr. Jason Birnholz, is back with a fascinating article on his use of a new ultraportable ultrasound scanner in the clinical setting.
Dr. Birnholz was surprised by the image quality of the system, and he soon found a multitude of uses for it in a busy clinic, from urology to fetal imaging. Learn more about his impressions by clicking here, or visit our Ultrasound Community at ultrasound.auntminnie.com.
Foreign bodies on x-ray
In other news, visit our Digital X-Ray Community for a new article on the use of radiography for detecting foreign bodies in patients -- anything from coins to knives to packets of drugs. It's a serious issue, as foreign objects in the esophagus account for 1,500 deaths a year in the U.S.
X-ray is the go-to modality for foreign objects, which are frequently encountered first by emergency physicians. But radiologists have a major role to play in helping emergency physicians identify and remove objects -- and differentiate between a relatively benign item, such as a coin, and something more dangerous, such as a button battery.
Read more by clicking here, or visit the community at xray.auntminnie.com.
Contrast safety
Finally, check out a couple of new articles on the safety of contrast media. Researchers from Emory University report on the safety of gadobenate dimeglumine MR contrast in patients with renal failure, while a new study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine has some disturbing findings about the safety of CT contrast.
