Dear Digital X-Ray Insider,
The resurgence of black lung disease among coal workers has been a cause of concern for public health officials around the world. A new study out of Australia indicates that these fears may be well-founded -- and that imaging can help.
Researchers from Wesley Hospital in Brisbane wanted to investigate the rising incidence of diseases linked to exposure to coal dust that were appearing in the country's mining sector. They used both x-ray and CT to note the unique presentation of these diseases on imaging exams -- and their findings are the subject of this edition's Insider Exclusive.
Another looming public health problem has been the outbreak of novel coronavirus. Along with CT, radiography has been one of the imaging tools that can help confirm coronavirus infection. In fact, radiography was instrumental in diagnosing one of the first coronavirus cases outside of China in a Vietnamese man who had traveled to Wuhan, where the outbreak has been centered.
In other news, an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that analyzed baseline knee x-rays was able to predict the progression of osteoarthritis over four years. The algorithm could be used in both clinical practice and drug trials to predict the loss of joint space on x-rays.
And in a related story, a deep-learning algorithm was able to analyze chest x-rays to predict pulmonary to systemic blood flow just as well as clinicians, according to a team from Japan.
Researchers have been investigating the viability of attaching photographs of patients to their x-rays, as a means of reducing wrong-site and wrong-patient errors. In a new study, a group from Emory University found the practice could have other advantages as well.
And finally, is it time to rethink the use of lead aprons to shield patients from radiation? An article on the topic has already been one of our most-read stories of the year in the Digital X-Ray Community. Find out what the debate is all about -- and let us know what your department is doing.
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