Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a type of testing used to diagnose and track treatment of various diseases without using radiation. Instead, MRIs use magnets and radio waves to form the images.
MRIs have other advantages over computed tomography (CT) scans and x-rays. The most important advantage is that MRIs can provide a greater contrast between the bones and the soft body tissues, like ligaments and muscles.
X-rays have been around for more than a century now; MRIs are definitely the new kids on the block. They won’t replace x-rays but they can improve a doctor’s ability to diagnose and treat patients.
MRIs …read more

The traditional way of angiography is accomplished by snaking a catheter through a patient’s blood vessels, where a dye is injected near the heart. Patients receiving this test will receive the same amount of radiation, which is found in other standard test such as nuclear stress test.
When patients undergo CT scans they receive radiation equivalent 600 chest X-rays.
The amount of radiation that that is given to a patient depends on where your health care provider sends you to have the CT scan. Some medical facilities take into consideration the size of the patient, when deciding on the dosage. The smaller …read more

This is of great importance. Realizing the signs and symptoms of a stroke can make the difference between life an death and between resolving symptoms and forever disabilities.
tPA is only administered if the symptoms are within a 3 hour window at most ER’s. What happens if you present saying your symptoms started yesterday? Well, first of all you are not fast tracked and wait as a stage or grade 2 patient. Next, you are not eligible to receive any clot busting type medications.
Aldo of importance, how you arrive at the hospital. Yes, believe it or not it does make a …read more

New CT technology is offering a quicker and more cost effective way to manage chest pain complaints in the ER. CAT (Computed tomography angiography) aids in identifying patients at low-risk of cardiac problems like the blocked arteries that lead to heart attacks. The center for Medicare and Medicaid services have yet to decide on whether to pay for the service in the ER.
What are the benefits of CAT?
Costs for patients who received immediate CTA in the emergency department averaged about $1,240, while costs of stress testing and telemetry monitoring topped $4,000 for each patient. CTA also helped get low-risk chest …read more

Duke University bioengineers can compensate for the thickness of the skull to see in real-time the arteries within the brain that most often clog up and cause strokes using new 3-D ultrasound technology they designed. This is believed to be the first of its kind- to see past the skull and actually view the major arteries.
This could save many of lives, in emergent and routine situations. What are the real benefits?
The 3-D ultrasound has the benefit of being less expensive and faster than the traditional methods of assessing blood flow in the brain — MRI or CT scanning, Ivancevich said. …read more