Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Everyone knows about the negative health effects of smoking on the heart and lungs. But did you also know smoking can affect the musculoskeletal system as well?
Researchers from Turkey demonstrated this fact in a study we're highlighting in our Ultrasound Community. They used B-mode ultrasound and ultrasound elastography to scan 70 healthy volunteers, about half of whom were smokers. Comparing the two groups, they found that the smokers had thinner patellar and Achilles tendons than those who did not smoke.
What's more, the smokers also had stiffer tendons compared to nonsmokers, as measured by ultrasound elastography. The researchers are calling for additional investigation into the findings in the future. Read more by clicking here.
How clean are your ultrasound probes?
While you're in the community, be sure to read this article on the surprising results of a European survey that found that almost one-third of practitioners do not disinfect ultrasound probes after each patient. Do you know how clean your probes are?
Get these stories and more by visiting our Ultrasound Community at ultrasound.auntminnie.com.
Guess who's going to RSNA?
If you're a grizzled veteran of the RSNA show, you're probably a bit jaded about trekking to Chicago every year after Thanksgiving. But for many radiology professionals, going to RSNA for the first time is a new and exciting experience. Find out who will be attending their first RSNA this year in the latest installment of #MyRadGirlfriend.
