Evaluation of clinicians' knowledge and practices regarding medical radiological exposure: findings from a mixed-methods investigation (survey and qualitative study)

OBJECTIVES

To assess the impact of initiatives aiming to increase clinician awareness of radiation exposure; to explore the challenges they face when communicating with patients; to study what they think is the most appropriate way of communicating the long-term potential risks of medical radiological exposure to patients.

DESIGN

A quantitative and qualitative evaluation through a survey and focal groups.

SETTING

San Juan Hospital and Dr Peset Hospital (Southeast Spain) and clinicians from Spanish scientific societies.

PARTICIPANTS

The surveys were answered (a) in person (216: all the radiologists (30), urologists (14) and surgeons (44) working at both participant hospitals; a sample of general practitioners from the catchment area of one hospital (45), and a consecutive sample of radiologists attending a scientific meeting (60)) or (b) electronically through Spanish scientific societies (299: radiologists (45), pneumologists (123), haematologists (75) and surgeons (40)). Clinicians were not randomly selected and thus the results are limited by the diligence of the individuals filling out the survey.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Clinicians' knowledge and practices regarding medical radiological exposure, and what they considered most appropriate for communicating information to patients.

RESULTS

Nearly 80% of the clinicians surveyed had never heard of the European recommendations. Fewer than 20% of the clinicians surveyed identified correctly the radiation equivalence dose of intravenous urography or barium enema. It was reported by 31.7% that they inform patients about the long-term potential risks of ionising radiation. All participants agreed that the most appropriate way to present information is a table with a list of imaging tests and their corresponding radiation equivalence dose in terms of chest X-rays and background radiation exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical radiological exposure is frequently underestimated and rarely explained to patients. With a clear understanding of medical radiological exposure and proper communication tools, clinicians will be able to accurately inform patients.

The Fate of Patients with Solitary Pulmonary Nodules: Clinical Management and Radiation Exposure Associated

Background

The appropriate management of the large number of lung nodules detected during the course of routine medical care presents a challenge. We aimed to evaluate the usual clinical practice in solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) management and associated radiation exposure.

Methods

We examined 893 radiology reports of consecutive patients undergoing chest computed tomography (CT) and radiography at two public hospitals in Spain. Information on diagnostic procedures from SPN detection and lung cancer diagnosis was collected prospectively for 18 months.

Results

More than 20% of patients with SPN detected on either chest radiograph (19.8%) or CT (26.1%) underwent no additional interventions and none developed lung cancer (100% negative predictive value). 346 (72.0%) patients with SPN detected on chest radiograph and 254 (61.5%) patients with SPN detected on CT had additional diagnostic tests and were not diagnosed with lung cancer. In patients undergoing follow-up imaging for SPNs detected on CT median number of additional imaging tests was 3.5 and the mean cumulative effective dose was 24.4 mSv; for those detected on chest radiograph the median number of additional imaging tests was 2.8 and the mean cumulative effective dose was 10.3 mSv.

Conclusions

Patients who did not have additional interventions were not diagnosed of lung cancer. There was an excessive amount of interventions in a high percentage of patients presenting SPN, which was associated with an excess of radiation exposure.

[Smoking-related interstitial lung diseases: findings at high-resolution CT]

OBJECTIVE

To describe the anatomic and radiologic characteristics common to smoking-related interstitial lung diseases use and to evaluate the association between smoking and these diseases.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We reviewed the clinical histories of patients with suspected smoking-related interstitial lung diseases from 2001 to 2005 who underwent high-resolution computed tomography and had radiologic findings of desquamative interstitial pneumonia, respiratory bronchiolitis, histiocytosis X, or pulmonary fibrosis. We analyzed the presence of emphysema, ground glass, centrilobar nodules, cysts, honey combing, and overlap among these findings.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients were included. In desquamative interstitial pneumonia, the most common finding was ground glass (100%); in respiratory bronchiolitis, it was centrilobar nodules (100%); cysts were the most common finding in histiocytosis (85.7%) and honey combing was the most common finding in fibrosis (100%). Furthermore, over 75% of the patients had emphysema, which supported the relation with tobacco use. The patients with bronchiolitis also had signs common to the other three diseases (ground glass, honey combing, and cysts).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a relation between smoking and these interstitial diseases, as well as overlapping in their clinical and radiological manifestations.

[Lobar emphysema due to bronchial atresia associated with a bronchogenic cyst]

We report a case of bronchial atresia in the apical segment of right down lobule associated to subcarinal bronchogenic cyst in an eighteen years old patient who consults by long time bronchitis. The thorax X-ray shows an image suggested of mucoid impaction. The respiratory function tests are not essential for the diagnostic. The fiber bronchoscopy is normal and the diagnostic is established by mean image technics (thoracic HR-TC and MR).

Interobserver agreement in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism with helical CT

PURPOSE

Our objective was to asses the interobserver agreement in the detection of pulmonary embolism (PE) with contrast-enhanced helical CT at the main pulmonary, lobar and segmental arteries. A prospective study was carried out in 51 patients with suspected PE. Finally, 29 patients were diagnosed of PE.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

All patients were studied with helical CT. Images (5 mm collimation, 1.5 pitch factor, 3 mm reconstruction interval) were obtained after bolus contrast injection (120 ml, 4 ml/s, 15 s delay time). All cases were blinded and independently interpreted in three ways: two radiologists with different level of expertise and two expert radiologists reading by consensus. Agreement was evaluated by means of the kappa test.

RESULTS

Kappa values for thrombi detection expressed an excellent agreement at the main (between 0.802 and 0. 946), lobar (between 0.915 and 0.958) and segmental (between 0.879 and 0.718) levels. For all vessels, mean kappa values were similar and excellent for all three combinations of readers. Arteries with more discrepancies were located mainly at the anterior and posterior areas of the upper lobes.

CONCLUSIONS

The high degree of agreement shown in this study indicates that helical CT is a reproducible test in the diagnosis of PE to the segmental level. Isolated readings and levels of expertise do not influence agreement.

Diagnosis of pulmonary sequestration by spiral CT angiography

The diagnosis of pulmonary sequestration traditionally requires arteriography to identify abnormal systemic vessels feeding the abnormal portion of the lung. Non-invasive imaging techniques have recently been used to replace arteriography. Conventional computed tomographic (CT) scanning is, however, at a disadvantage because of its inability to obtain multiplanar images. The combination of slip ring CT scanning and computerised three-dimensional reconstruction (spiral CT angiography) can be used to visualise the anatomical detail of a wide range of vessels within the lung. Four cases of pulmonary sequestration are reported which were successfully diagnosed using spiral CT angiography. Spiral CT scanning allows simultaneous imaging of anomalous vessels and lung parenchyma in a single examination and is particularly useful in the diagnosis and assessment of pulmonary sequestration.

[Percutaneous nephrostomy as a technic for emergency drainage: review of cases]

Percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) is currently one of the procedures of choice for emergency drainage of the upper urinary tract. Moreover, it permits morphologic and functional diagnostic possibilities as well as a wide variety of new and frequently definitive therapeutic procedures. We report on 58 PCN procedures performed in 55 patients from May 1983 to February 1989. PCN was indicated for complicated or uncomplicated uni- or bilateral supravesical obstruction, with infection and/or azotemia. All patients submitted to PCN for complicated obstruction with infection and/or azotemia showed a marked clinical and analytical improvement. Apart from resolving this emergency, it reduced the morbidity and mortality rate of subsequent surgical treatment of the underlying cause of obstruction because patient status was markedly improved. The major complications, retroperitoneal hematoma and sepsis, were rare. We frequently observed that the catheter had come out or become obstructed in our series. PCN affords the following advantages: it can be performed with local anesthesia; it is a simple technique; there are no absolute contraindications; its morbidity and mortality rates are low; and, it can be easily converted into a permanent procedure. In our view, all the foregoing advantages, as well as its therapeutic and morphologic and functional diagnostic possibilities, make PCN one of the procedures of choice in emergency treatment of upper urinary tract obstruction.

Massive thyroxine intoxication: evaluation of plasma extraction

Six patients were admitted after erroneous massive intake of levothyroxine (70-1200 mg over an interval of 2-12 days). All patients developed classical symptoms of thyrotoxicosis within 3 days of the first dose; five patients presented grade II-III coma and one became stuporous (days 7-10). Two patients developed left ventricular failure and three had arrhythmias (days 8-11). Total thyroid hormone levels in serum on admission ranged 935-7728 nmol/l for T4 (TT4) and 23-399 nmol/l for T3 (TT3). All patients received treatment with hydrocortisone and Propranolol. Propylthiouracil was also given in 3 cases. Extractive techniques (charcoal haemoperfusion and/or plasmapheresis) were initiated 8-14 days after the first dose of L-T4. The plasma disappearance rate (K) of TT4 with plasmapheresis was 30 times higher, on average, than under standard medical treatment (M). Also, K of TT4 under haemoperfusion was about five times higher than K under M. K changes for TT3 were higher under haemoperfusion than under plasmapheresis. Furthermore, extractive procedures shortened the average half life of TT4, (from 106.5 +/- 44.6 to 59.7 +/- 20.2 h, p less than 0.05).