Term
| What is diagnostic radiology? |
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Definition
| The field of medicine that focuses on diagnosis of disease using anatomic and functional imaging of the human body |
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Term
| X-ray of which parts of the body have the highest additional lifetime risk of cancer per examination |
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Definition
| Kidney, bladder, stomach, colon, chest, abdomen |
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Term
| What are the five basic densities in order of least to most dense? |
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Definition
| Air, fat, water (blood/soft tissue), bone, metal |
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Term
| What are the spacial terms for x-rays? |
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Definition
| Anteroposterior, posteroanterior, lateral (decubitus), oblique, erect, supine, prone |
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Term
| What key actions must be performed with every x-ray image? |
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Definition
| Check identity, sex, and age of patient, date of exam, determine what kind of image you are looking at, get clinical info and comparison images if available |
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Term
| What are some common contrast agents? |
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Definition
| Iodine-based, barium, gastrograffin, urograffin, technetium 99, gadolinium |
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Term
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Definition
| The process of using x-rays to screen and/or diagnose breast masses or calcifications, goal is early detection of breast cancer |
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Term
| What are the four quadrants of the breast? |
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Definition
| Upper outer, upper inner, lower outer, lower inner |
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Term
| What is the breast imaging reporting and data system? |
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Definition
| BIRADS 0 = additional evaluation recommended, 1 = negative, 2 = benign, 3 = likely benign, 4 = suspicious, 5 = malignant, 6 = known malignancy |
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Term
| What is computed tomography? |
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Definition
| Uses a computer to mathematically reconstruct a cross-sectional image of the body from measurements of x-ray transmission through thin slices of patient tissue |
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Term
| How is computed tomography performed? |
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Definition
| X-ray beam is attenuated by absorption and scatter as it passes through the patient, detectors on the opposite side of the patient measure x-ray transmission through the slice, measurements are repeated many times from different directions as the x-ray tube rotates around the patient |
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Term
| What are some CT numbers? |
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Definition
| AKA hounsfield unit, Air = -1024 HU, water = 0 HU, bone = +3000-4000 HU |
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Term
| What are the benefits of computed tomography without contrast? |
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Definition
| Picks up hemorrhages or calcifications, initial evaluation of stroke, however poor renal function and IV contrast is contraindicated |
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Term
| What are the benefits of computed tomography with contrast? |
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Definition
| Using oral contrast: abdomen and pelvis, IV contrast: best for most exams |
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Term
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Definition
| Imaging using soundwaves, does not use radiation |
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Term
| What can ultrasound be used for? |
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Definition
| Diagnosis or therapeutic procedures with the guidance of ultrasonography (for instance biopsies or drainage of fluid collections) |
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Term
| How might ultrasonography be enhanced? |
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Definition
| Doppler measurements which employ the Doppler effect to asses whether structures (usually blood) are moving towards or away from the probe and its relative velocity, useful for cardiovascular study |
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Term
| What are the advantages of ultrasound? |
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Definition
| Shows structure well, excellent in delineating the interfaces between solid and fluid spaces, no known side effects or discomfort, widely available and inexpensive equipment, small and portable |
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Term
| What are some weaknesses of ultrasound? |
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Definition
| High level of skill and experience required to acquire good-quality images and make accurate diagnoses |
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Term
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Definition
| Uses radiofrquency energy and magnetic fields to attract protons, roughly 1% of the protons in the body will be attracted to the MR magnet and imaged |
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Term
| What are some contraindications for MRI? |
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Definition
| Anything ferromagnetic, jewelry, cardiac pacemaker, implanted cardiac defibrillator, aneurysm clips, carotid artery vascular clamp, neurostimulator, insulin or infusion pump, implanted drug infusion device, ochlear, otologic, or ear implant |
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Term
| What are the advantages of MRI? |
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Definition
| Excellent soft tissue contrast improved over CT, no ionizing radiation, can scan in any plane |
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Term
| What are the disadvantages of MRI? |
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Definition
| Limited availability, expensive, very sensitive to patient motion, long scan time, many patients have claustrophobia |
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Term
| What kind of imaging is nuclear medicine used for? |
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Definition
| Physiologic (functional), more sensitive than anatomic imaging, based on the interaction of an intrinsic energy source within biologic tissues (radioactive substance interacts w/tissues and energy is emitted) |
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Term
| What are some commonly used radionuclides? |
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Definition
| Technetium 99m (most common), iodine 123 and 131, technetium or thalium 201 (cardiac), gallium 67, fkuorine 18 (brain) |
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Term
| How is nuclear medicine evaluated? |
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Definition
| In terms of radiopharmaceutical uptake - hot = increased hyperfunctioning uptake, cold = poor underfunctioning uptake |
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Term
| How is airway assessed when reading a chest radiograph? |
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Definition
| Are the trachea and mainstem bronchi patent? Is the trachea midline? Is there an endotracheal tube present (if so, is it above the bronchial bifurcation)? |
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Term
| How are bones assessed when reading a chest radiograph? |
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Definition
| Are the clavicles, ribs, and sternum present and are there fractures? Are the clavicles and scapula equal or do they seem to be in different positions (patient is rotated)? |
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Term
| How is the cardiac silhouette assessed when reading a chest radiograph? |
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Definition
| Is the diameter of the heart > ½ thoracic diameter (enlarged)? |
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Term
| How is the diaphragm assessed when reading a chest radiograph? |
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Definition
| Are the costophrenic margins sharp (normal)? Are the diaphragms domed (normal) or are they flattened (hyperexpansion)? Is free air present beneath the diaphragm (air in the peritoneum)? |
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Term
| How are empty spaces assessed when reading a chest radiograph? |
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Definition
| Is there any empty air space in the lung fields (pneumothorax)? |
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Term
| How are fields in the lungs assessed when reading a chest radiograph? |
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Definition
| Are there infiltrates, increased interstitial markings, masses, air bronchograms, increased vascularity, or silhouette signs |
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Term
| How is the hilar region assessed when reading a chest radiograph? |
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Definition
| Is there increased hilar lymphadenopathy? |
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Term
| How is inspiration assessed when reading a chest radiograph? |
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Definition
| Good inspiration (count 9 posterior ribs?) |
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Term
| Know ABCDEFGHII of reading chest radiographs |
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Definition
| Airway, bones, cardiac silhouette, diaphragm, empty space, fields, gastric bubble, hilar region, inspiration, instrumentation |
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Term
| What is an air bronchogram? |
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Definition
| An air bronchogram is a tubular outline of an airway made visible by the surrounding alveoli that is affected by with pulmonary infiltrate (inflammatory exudates) or edema. |
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Term
| What are the causes of an air bronchogram? |
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Definition
| Lung consolidation (most common), pulmonary edema, atelectasis, severe interstitial disease, cancer |
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Term
| What is a silhouette sign? |
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Definition
| Describes the loss of visual borders of adjacent structures caused by pathologic changes in the lungs (ex. loss of cardiac border due to pulmonary infiltrates), commonly applied to heart, mediastinum, chest wall, and diaphragm |
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Term
| What are the basic things to look for in an abdominal x-ray? |
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Definition
| Air, bones, calcifications (ABC) |
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Term
| What are the measurements for dilated bowel |
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Definition
| >3cm abnormal for small bowel, >6cm abnormal for large bowel, >9cm abnormal for cecum |
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