Dear Ultrasound Insider,
While second-look ultrasound performed after dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI can detect additional breast cancer cases, adding shear-wave elastography may catch even more.
A research team led by Dr. Donna Plecha, of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, recently found that shear-wave elastography boosted second-look ultrasound's cancer detection rate by nearly one-third. Negative predictive value also was high.
What else did the group find? Read all about the results in this newsletter's Insider Exclusive, which you can access before our regular members.
In another featured article in your Ultrasound Digital Community, a number of common household products may be able to serve as a low-cost substitute for ultrasound gel.
In a project called the Ultrasonographic Study of Alternative Gel Experimental Substances (USAGES), a research team consisting of emergency medicine physicians and sonographers sought to determine whether baby shampoo, hairstyling gel, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, liquid dishwashing detergent, and olive oil could be used to produce ultrasound images of clinical and diagnostic utility.
While images acquired conventionally with ultrasound gel had the highest median score, hand sanitizer wasn't that far behind. Hairstyling gel, olive oil, and even baby shampoo also produced images of acceptable quality. Click here for all the details from the study.
Also, the sonography profession's Scope of Practice and Clinical Standards is about to get a refresh. Sixteen organizations recently met to begin the revision process.
Do you have an idea for a topic you'd like to see covered? As always, please feel free to drop me a line.
