Dear Digital X-Ray Insider,
The chest x-ray has become one of the more overlooked exams in medical imaging. But a new study out of the Netherlands indicates that chest x-rays can have a high impact on the patient management plans of general practice physicians, according to an article we're featuring as this month's Insider Exclusive.
In the study, researchers from a group of Dutch hospitals asked general practice physicians about their management plans for a group of symptomatic patients. They sent the patients on for chest x-rays and then surveyed the physicians again after they had read the radiology reports.
The researchers found that the chest x-rays affected patient management plans in a majority of cases, and that in general the exam was cost-effective given the diagnostic value it added. Learn more about the study, which you're learning about before other AuntMinnie members, by clicking here.
Having trouble dealing with the increasingly obese patients coming through your department? You're not alone: A new study indicates that more and more obese people are unable to get full medical care because they won't fit into scanners, or their fat is too deep for imaging technology to penetrate. Get the rest of the story by clicking here.
On the lighter side, veterinarians in Idaho were able to use x-ray to see inside a 12-foot Burmese python that swallowed an electric blanket, cord, control box, and all. See the images for yourself by clicking here.
Finally, we hope you enjoy the new design of the Digital X-Ray Community. We're planning a renewed focus on digital technologies in the months to come, such as our Technology Review on the growing momentum of digital radiography. We welcome your suggestions for editorial topics -- just send them to [email protected].
