Dear Ultrasound Insider,
This issue features a new column by ultrasound luminary Dr. Jason Birnholz. In part 18 of his Practice of Ultrasound series, Dr. Birnholz focuses on ultrasound and the point of care, with some fascinating insights from both the past and present. As an Insider subscriber, you have access to this Insider Exclusive before our regular members.
Thyroid nodules discovered incidentally on imaging studies are a common problem, and it can be difficult to determine how to manage them. A new white paper from the American College of Radiology Incidental Thyroid Findings Committee may help. Learn how to manage incidental thyroid nodules found on ultrasound, CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine studies by clicking here.
In other news in your Ultrasound Community, Canadian researchers recently tested their ultrasound transducers to see if they were contaminated with bacteria. Click here to learn what they found and what other institutions can do to make sure their transducers are contamination-free.
Speaking of bacterial infections, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking a permanent injunction to ban ultrasound gel manufacturer Pharmaceutical Innovations from manufacturing or selling products until it complies with FDA requirements. The FDA action stems from bacterial infections in a Michigan hospital caused by use of the company's ultrasound gel. Learn more here.
A new report is predicting that shear-wave elastography is poised to become an important tool in breast cancer detection. Overuse of cardiac stress testing with imaging has contributed to rising healthcare costs, but researchers believe that stress testing with ultrasound instead of CT could help alleviate this problem.
Also be sure to check out the latest article from echocardiographer Doug Wuebben and strength coach Mark Roozen in their popular Making a Difference as a Sonographer series. In this new column, they share some tips on how to care for the iliotibial band.
In vendor news, Bracco Diagnostics has become the third company to officially join the U.S. ultrasound contrast agent market. The firm recently received FDA approval for its Lumason agent, formerly known as SonoVue. Get the details here.
Is there a topic you'd like to see covered? As always, please feel free to drop me a line.
