Point-of-Care Ultrasound Advancements

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) was recently declared by the American Academy of Family Physicians as, “The biggest advance in bedside diagnosis since the advent of the stethoscope 200 years ago.” 

Many industry professionals, such as anesthesiologists, internal medicine specialists, family practitioners, and more, already use this technology and believe it is beneficial in widespread application. Ongoing advancements in POCUS technology make it an option for radiologists as well. 

Thanks to POCUS’ ability to rule out suspended pathology at the bedside, Rami Zebian, MD, CMO with Florence Medical Center and Marion Medical Center, said, “The best care is local care. There’s a lot of talk about how to do more care locally. While you can have the best technology, a huge hospital setting, and people can travel, the best option is having options locally at the point of care and getting results or answers faster. For example, emergency medicine physicians who graduate from an emergency medicine residency nowadays have ultrasound as part of their training. If we’re concerned about bleeding, they do the fast scan to quickly identify an area of concern, and then you go after it. There are a lot of conditions where time is very important.” 

Ernesto Brauer, MD, RDMS, RDCS, ASCeXAM, FACP, FCCP, ABSM, council chair with the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy, says, “A significant number of ultrasound studies are reported as normal studies. This will avoid the unnecessary burden on radiologists.” 

POCUS offers lower-cost imaging devices that allow organizations to scale their use, enabling high-powered image insights to be at their fingertips. Regarding health care, the impact of POCUS will continue to be substantial, as it has unlimited potential in patient diagnosis. 

Physicians use specific tools to understand the complex physiology presented by patients with complicated conditions. POCUS is now being used as an extension of a physical exam. 

Ohad Zrazi, president and CEO of Clarius Mobile Health, said, “The emergence of high-quality handheld ultrasound systems that are even more portable, affordable, and easier to use is enabling physicians from diverse specialties to use ultrasound for diagnosis and treatment, often during first visits. As more physicians become proficient with using ultrasound to diagnose simple cases at the bedside, radiologists will have more time to focus on complex cases that require high level expertise.” 

Brauer said, “So, in a nutshell, the POCUS community is using POCUS in ways that have never been used conventionally by radiologists or sonographers. We are just in the early phase of the evolution of POCUS.” 

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Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

AI On the Horizon for Radiologists

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been poised to improve the radiological process for some time, yet despite hundreds of conferences, hype, and promises, AI hasn’t made a huge impact yet. 

Part of the issue with AI’s slow integration for radiologists lies within the application. Algorithms can be applied to specific situations and places, but radiologists need to look beyond these narrow views. True workflow integration is the key to fully utilizing AI. 

Though other areas of our lives already rely on AI, radiology has not caught up with the trend. Today’s viewing software cannot suggest relevant prior imaging exams based on the current image being studied. Two strategies already exist which can help facilitate the AI process. 

Activity Pattern Identification
By recording a radiologist’s habits, AI can look for clusters of repeated actions to automate. Specifically, viewing particular images and reading aloud numbers on a corresponding screen could be achieved by AI. Or AI could monitor click patterns from radiologists to offer the most appropriate measurement tool. Personal patterns for handling protocols can also be improved by AI, which can shave valuable time and improve radiologists’ mental load. 

Information Integration
A large number of radiology algorithms accept images and output a diagnosis or prediction; however, after receiving images, the AI could include extra information with the output which would be of use to the radiologist. With this information at their fingertips, radiologists could make better clinical decisions. For example, if a radiologist is examining a specific body part where surgery had been performed, AI could display the most recent pre-operative images to allow the radiologist to compare the two more easily.  

Considered some of the most technologically forward physicians, radiologists should harness the power of AI and tap into the potential capabilities. By using pattern detection and information integration, AI can simplify tasks, clarify figures, and help to boost maximum productivity.  

RadParts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost parts and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at 877-704-3838 to learn more.

 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Performing Simultaneous Cataract Surgery

 

Age-related cataracts can affect both eyes, requiring the endogenic lens to be replaced with an artificial Intraocular Lens (IOL) surgically. Generally, there is a lapse in time between surgeries for each eye, but the surgery can be performed on both eyes on the same day.

A study by Cochrane suggests that there are unlikely to be any large, clinically significant differences between both approaches, though the overall quality was assessed as moderate to very low.

Several advantages to performing the surgery in both eyes simultaneously include fewer hospital visits, faster bilateral vision recovery, and lower procedure costs. 

Risks of simultaneously performing cataract surgery in both eyes consist of developing a postoperative complication in both eyes, and not being able to use the visual acuity from the first operation during the second procedure, since there would only be one. 

The Cochrane review authors noted that the complications generally occurred up to three months post-op, and there were little- to no differences noted between the two methods. Most of the study results were limited by an overall small number of endophthalmitis, postoperative complications, and a lack of specific data, among other variables. 

Thomas Kohnen, MD, PhD, chair of the German Commission for Refractive Surgery (KRC), set up by the German Society of Ophthalmology (DOG), and the Professional Association of German Ophthalmologists (BVA) at the University Clinic Frankfurt, said, “In Germany, there is only very little data on ISBCS because it is barely a topic here. "We have very good medical infrastructure with widespread and prompt ophthalmological care, such that even people living in the countryside do not have to travel great distances or experience long waiting times for a first or second cataract surgery, which is different from many places abroad. The procedure with bilateral operations on the same day is not recommended in the guidelines from our professional societies, [because] any complications that occur postoperatively could potentially entail lengthy legal liability procedures for the surgeons."

In Germany, sequential bilateral cataract surgery is typically performed with two outpatient operations spaced several days (or weeks) apart. Medical, social, or personal reasons can create exceptions to the rule, requiring both eyes to be operated on with a shorter amount of time between each procedure, under general anesthesia in one sitting, or with an overnight gap. 

 

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/