Decision support system translates into high percentage of positive chest CT examinations
2012-05-01
(Press-News.org) Using a decision support system for ordering chest CT examinations translates into positive examinations three-quarters of the time, a new study shows.
The study, conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, of 93,818 chest CT examinations done with the assistance of a decision support system, found that 76% of patients had a positive finding on their CT.
"Rising concerns about radiation risks, imaging growth and reimbursement costs has highlighted inappropriate imaging use," said Dr. Supriya Gupta, MD, one of the authors of the study. The decision support system provides a "utility score" for the test being ordered, said Dr. Gupta. When faced with low utility scores, referring physicians may choose to modify their imaging request, cancel the examination, order a different type of examination or proceed with the order. The study found that only 12% of the examinations with a low utility score translated into a positive finding, said Dr. Gupta. That compares to 87% for those with a high utility score, she said.
The study also reviewed utilization. Utilization was highest when abnormal chest radiography, shortness of breath or persistent cough was listed as the indication for performing chest CT, Dr. Gupta said.
The study will be presented on May 1 at the 2012 American Roentgen Ray Society Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada.
INFORMATION:
About ARRS
The American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) was founded in 1900 and is the oldest radiology society in the United States. Its monthly journal, the American Journal of Roentgenology, began publication in 1906. Radiologists from all over the world attend the ARRS Annual Meeting to take part in instructional courses, scientific paper presentations and scientific and commercial exhibits related to the field of radiology. The Society is named after the first Nobel Laureate in Physics, Wilhelm Röentgen, who discovered the X-ray in 1895.
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2012-05-01
The cost and production of fuel are always topics of intense discussion and scrutiny, but recently, they have proven more volatile topics than ever before. Many American families are struggling with high prices at the gasoline pump, even as the prices of natural gas are very low. This has led to intense debate within the energy production industry, something a recent news report makes clear. The debate has even drawn the attention of long-time industry leaders like Frank C. Fisher, a retired Houston attorney and oil and gas professional who responds to the current oil and ...
2012-05-01
DARIEN, IL – Children who have learning, attention and behavior problems may be suffering from excessive daytime sleepiness, even though clinical tests show them sleeping long enough at night, a new study reports.
Penn State researchers studied 508 children and found that those whose parents reported excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) – despite little indication of short sleep from traditional measurements – were more likely to experience learning, attention/hyperactivity and conduct problems than children without EDS.
The culprits? Obesity, symptoms of inattention, ...
2012-05-01
DARIEN, IL – Toss out another old wives' tale: Sleeping too much does not make you fat. Quite the opposite, according to a new study examining sleep and body mass index (BMI) in twins, which found that sleeping more than nine hours a night may actually suppress genetic influences on body weight.
The study looked at 1,088 pairs of twins and found that sleeping less than seven hours a night was associated with both increased BMI and greater genetic influences on BMI. Previous research has shown that genetic influences include things like glucose metabolism, energy use, ...
2012-05-01
In today's online marketing world, advertisers are seeking, more than ever before, to tap into global markets. Asia, South America, and Australia offer a goldmine of convertible online traffic, something that carries tremendous appeal to many top-tier American brands. Accessing those markets can prove difficult and at times costly, however, particularly for online advertisers who lack ties to expansive marketing networks. The #1 performance marketing company Ads Direct is seeking to make this kind of global reach easier for its clients, however; the company has just announced ...
2012-05-01
Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) have higher rates of hospitalized bacterial infection than children without JIA according to an observational study appearing in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). The findings show that the risk of infection among JIA patients was significantly increased with use of high-dose glucocorticoids (steroids). Methotrexate (MTX) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) inhibitors were not found to increase infection risk in this pediatric population. ...
2012-05-01
May 1, 2012 (Chevy Chase, MD) – Women going through menopause now have a first-of-its-kind interactive guide to help them better understand their menu of treatment options, including whether hormone therapy may be right for them. The Endocrine Society and its Hormone Health Network today released the "Menopause Map," an online tool to help women and their doctors discuss which hormonal and non-hormonal treatment options would be most effective and safe to relieve the sometimes debilitating symptoms of menopause. A new accompanying survey found that the majority of women ...
2012-05-01
Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath began his career as a traveling teacher, bringing spiritual insight and instruction to the residents of the Himalayan region of Northern India. Since then, he has come to be a spiritual mentor and revered figure to countless people around the world. He has taught countless students, and even presented his views on the floor of the United Nations. His teachings appear on YouTube, and have garnered thousands of hits. Even so, Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath is preparing to bring his teachings to one of his widest audiences yet; the spiritual leader ...
2012-05-01
Blacksburg, Va., May 1, 2012 - Virginia Tech released today the results of its 2012 rating for adult football helmets that is designed to assess a helmet's ability to reduce the risk of concussion. A total of three helmets achieved a "5 star" mark, which is the highest rating awarded by the Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings™. In addition to the Riddell Revolution Speed, which was the only helmet to receive 5 stars last year, the Rawlings Quantum Plus and Riddell 360 also earned 5 stars as the best available helmets.
The process used for evaluating the head protector involves ...
2012-05-01
Oxbridge House, Inc., a buyer and seller of rare metals and precious coins, has recently opened a new retail location on 2115 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco to satisfy the skyrocketing demand for their products and services. With gold prices hovering between $1,500 to as much as $1,900 per ounce over the last six months, consumers and investors have been clamoring for gold bullion.
"We see a big rush of people coming in selling and also a big rush of people buying for investment purposes," said Joe Polyak, an account executive at Oxbridge House. "We get ...
2012-05-01
The use of a dedicated pediatric imaging department (with dedicated pediatric computed tomography (CT) technologists) for pediatric CT scans significantly reduces the radiation dose delivered to the patient, according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
When performed and monitored properly, the benefits of CT scans outweigh the potential long-term risk of radiation. To minimize the potential adverse effects of radiation exposure to pediatric patients, it is necessary to reduce the dose of radiation delivered to these patients ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Decision support system translates into high percentage of positive chest CT examinations
