National trends in emergency room diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, 2001-2010: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the United States diagnosis and burden of pulmonary embolism (PE) in the emergency department (ED), and their evolution over the past decade. We examined nationally representative data to evaluate factors associated with and trends in ED diagnosis of PE. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) data from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2010. We identified all ED patient visits where PE was diagnosed and corresponding demographic, hemodynamic, testing and disposition data. Analyses were performed using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: During the study period 988,000 weighted patient visits with diagnosis of PE were identified. Among patients with an ED visit, the likelihood of having a diagnosis of PE per year increased significantly from 2001 to 2010 (odds ratio [OR] 1.091, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.034-1.152, P = 0.002 for trend) when adjusted for demographic and hospital information. In contrast, when further adjusted for the use of computed tomography (CT) among patients in the ED, the likelihood of having a diagnosis of PE per year did not change (OR 1.041, 95% CI 0.987-1.097, P = 0.14). Overall, 75.1% of patients seen with a diagnosis of PE were hemodynamically stable; 86% were admitted with an in-hospital death rate under 3%. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of ED visits with a diagnosis of PE increased significantly from 2001 to 2010 and this rise can be attributed in large part to the increased availability and use of CT. Most of these patients were admitted with low in-hospital mortality.

Radiographic appearance of pulmonary tuberculosis: dogma disproved.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to review the origins of the classic teaching on pulmonary tuberculosis, its evolution in the modern literature, and the evidence that led to its demise. CONCLUSION: Use of molecular epidemiologic techniques that entail DNA finger-printing has led to the discovery that the radiographic appearance of pulmonary tuberculosis does not depend on the time since infection. It has been confirmed that the upper lobe cavitary disease typical in adults is the disease of the immunocompetent host, whereas lower lung zone disease, adenopathy, and effusions, which are uncommon in adults, are the hallmarks of tuberculosis in an immunocompromised host.

Implementation of training level-specific self-study guides for diagnostic radiology residents.

INTRODUCTION: Currently, there is no universally accepted diagnostic radiology curriculum for self-studying, so diagnostic radiology residents often have a challenging time knowing where to begin their independent studying away from work. In an effort to meet the needs of today's residents, we attempted to provide structured, comprehensive self-studying suggestions in a digestible and personalized format. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each radiology division attempted to create an optimal learning resource form for the residents to use for self-studying while on each rotation. Each self-study guide included hyperlinks to easily accessible online resources. RESULTS: Training level-specific week-by-week recommendations were provided based on the expected types of cases a resident would typically encounter during that timeframe. All of the neuroradiology rotation forms and several of the other subspecialty forms were originally made available to the residents and faculty electronically on July 1, 2022. The forms are now distributed to newly rotating residents on a monthly basis. DISCUSSION: There is a fine balance between providing residents with comprehensive review material and promoting realistic expectations. In addition, educators must keep in mind financial limitations of their residents and institutions. Learning resources must be affordable to be accessible to all residents. As radiology and technology continuously advance, there will undoubtedly be more and more excellent resources for trainees to learn from. To optimize self-studying, retention of information, and wellness, it is imperative to provide our residents with a structured, personalized, manageable curriculum including easily accessible high-yield resources.

Barking up the wrong tree: Vascular tree-in-bud due to intravascular lymphoma.

A 59-year-old previously healthy woman presented with a six-month history of fever, nonproductive cough, and weight loss. The cause of these symptoms remained obscure despite a thorough, month-long hospitalization. On presentation, she was normotensive with a pulse of 98 beats/minute, respiratory rate of 20 breaths/minute, and a temperature of 39.4C. She was emaciated. Physical examination was notable for faint bibasilar crackles on lung auscultation. Initial laboratory testing revealed pancytopenia. Peripheral smear demonstrated normocytic, normochromic anemia without immature cells or schistocytes. Other notable laboratory findings included elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase, elevated ferritin, and elevated levels of fasting serum triglycerides. A comprehensive laboratory evaluation for connective tissue disease was negative. Plain chest radiography was normal while computed tomography (CT) of the chest demonstrated sub-centimeter nodules in a branching centrilobular pattern as well as in a peri-lymphatic distribution without associated lymphadenopathy or organomegaly. The above constellation of laboratory abnormalities raised concern for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Soluble IL-2 (CD25) receptor levels were markedly elevated. Bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsies of the right lower lobe was performed, revealing intravascular lymphoma associated with HLH. Our case emphasizes the need for clinicians to consider vascular causes of tree - in-bud nodules in addition to the conventional bronchiolar causes. The case also is a reminder of the need to conduct an exhaustive search for malignancy, in patients with HLH.

What Program Directors Think About Resident Recruitment: Results of the 2023 Spring Survey of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) Part I.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) administers an annual survey to assess issues and experiences related to residency program management and education. Our purpose is to provide the response data from the 2023 survey and discuss its insights on the impact of COVID-19 on resident recruitment (Part I) and education (Part II), which can be used to facilitate planning and resource allocation for the evolving needs of programs and their leadership. In Part I, we consider the effects of ERAS preference signaling, the virtual interview format, and the potential of a universal interview release date. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional study of the APDR membership was performed using a web-based survey consisting of 45 questions, 23 of which pertain to virtual recruitment and are discussed in Part I of a two-part survey analysis. All active APDR members (n = 393) were invited to participate in the survey. RESULTS: The response rate was 32% (124 of 393). 83% reported that signaling increased the likelihood of an interview offer. 96% reported only offering virtual interviews; however, 59% intended to offer virtual-only interviews in the future. 53% would adhere to a universal interview release date but an additional 44% would do so depending on the agreed date, Results were tallied using Qualtrics software and qualitative responses were tabulated or summarized as comments. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual recruitment is expected to continue for many programs and most respondents would accept a universal interview release date. Preference signaling and geographic signaling are considered positive additions to the application process.

What Program Directors Think About Resident Education: Results of the 2023 Spring Survey of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) Part II.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) administers an annual survey to assess issues and experiences related to residency program management and education. Response data from the 2023 survey provides insights on the impact of COVID-19 on resident recruitment (Part I) and education (Part II), which can be used to facilitate planning and resource allocation for the evolving needs of programs and their leadership. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional study of the APDR membership was performed using a web-based survey consisting of 45 questions, 12 of which pertain to resident education in the post-pandemic era and are discussed in Part II of a two-part survey analysis. All active APDR members (n = 393) were invited to participate in the survey. RESULTS: The response rate was 32% (124 of 393). Results were tallied using Qualtrics software and qualitative responses were tabulated or summarized as comments. CONCLUSIONS: The primary challenges to resident education are faculty burnout, rising case volumes, and remote instruction. However, most program leaders report that in-person readouts are much more common than remote readouts. The ability to offer both in-person and remote AIRP sessions is viewed positively. Most program leaders require Authorized User certification, although many do not think all residents need it. Assessment of procedural competence varies by the type of procedure and is similar to graduates' self-assessment of competence.

The American Board of Radiology's Alternate Pathway for Diagnostic Radiology: What the Programs and the Applicants Need to Know.

The American Board of Radiology (ABR) developed the international medical graduate alternate pathway to give foreign trained radiologists an alternate route to independent radiology practice without having to undergo radiology residency in the United States. After 4 years of fellowship/faculty experience in the same training institution, the foreign trained radiologist becomes eligible to sit for the radiology board examinations conducted by the ABR. As this pathway is not offered at every radiology training program, many training institutions are unfamiliar with the fundamentals of this pathway. At the same time, both the training institutions and the applying foreign-trained physicians face a plethora of confusing choices on the state and federal level. In this paper, we review the main factors which both the international medical graduate radiologists and training programs must consider before embarking on the diagnostic radiology ABR Alternate Pathway, namely, eligibility, visa options, state medical licensure requirements, their costs and implications for future employment opportunities.

"What Program Directors Think" V: Results of the 2019 Spring Survey of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR).

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) surveys its membership annually on hot topics and new developments in radiology residency training. Here we report the results of that annual survey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A web-based survey was posed to the APDR membership in the Fall of 2018. Members were asked 43 questions on program staffing, resident education resources/funding, impact of the integrated-Interventional Radiology residency program on Diagnostic Radiology program resources, resident interest in imaging informatics, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements on resident practice habits data reporting, institutional reliance on residents for clinical coverage, teaching format in the post-oral board era, resident conference attendance, confidentiality of the Match rank list, Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology pathway recruitment and selection, Diagnostic Radiology and Interventional Radiology program relationships, independent resident call, pediatric radiology training, diversity and unconscious bias training, and social media in radiology education. RESULTS: Responses were collected electronically, results were tallied using Qualtrics software, and qualitative responses were tabulated or summarized as comments. There were 86 respondents with a response rate of 31.3%. CONCLUSION: Survey result highlights include perceived resident interest in imaging informatics with the vast majority of residency programs offering an informatics curriculum; the provision of resident practice habits data by nearly all residency programs despite lack of clarity surrounding this Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirement; continued use of case-taking in the post-oral boards era; frequent disclosure of the Match rank list to departmental and hospital administration; low penetration of unconscious bias training in academic radiology; and finally, the successful integration of interventional and diagnostic radiology training programs.

Double or nothing: old chest X-ray as a clue to lung mass.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is ayoung person's lung cancer with no apparent causal connection to smoking. It exhibits slow growth, which can make it challenging to detect changes in size on serial chest imaging. Another way of describing its growth pattern is that mucoepidermoid carcinoma has an unusually long volume doubling time. We describe acase of an incidental lung nodule diagnosed as mucoepidermoid carcinoma in which aprior chest radiograph provided aclue to the indolent nature of the abnormality and therefore argued against typical lung cancer. In the same context, we underscore the value of volumetric analy-sis in improving the accuracy of nodule growth determinations, which further strengthens the argument that the importance of locating prior imaging has not diminished in contemporary pulmonary practice.

Novel Anatomic Predictors of New Persistent Left Bundle Branch Block After Evolut Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

New persistent left bundle branch block (NP-LBBB) has been associated with adverse outcomes after TAVI but few predictors thus far reported. We sought to identify predictors of NP-LBBB after TAVI with EvolutR/PRO (ER/EP). From 1/2016 to 4/2019, 544 patients from 2 centers underwent TAVI with Evolut (54% ER, 46% EP) for severe native aortic stenosis. Patients with previous LBBB and pacemaker were excluded. Aortic root analysis was performed using 3Mensio Valves Software and membranous septal length (MSL) was determined using the standard coronal view. Clinical, anatomic and procedural characteristics of 396 Evolut were analyzed and predictors of NP-LBBB were identified. Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 outcomes were reported. At discharge, NP-LBBB was seen in 76(19.2%) patients. NP-LBBB in Evolut was associated with implant depth at left coronary cusp (p = 0.004) and 34 mm ER (p = 0.026). Independent predictors of NP-LBBB in Evolut were shorter MSL (odds ratio [OR] = 0.82 per mm septum, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.68 to 0.98,p = 0.030), left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) eccentricity (OR = 1.04 per %, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.06,p = 0.002), implant depth at noncoronary cusp (NCC) (OR = 1.28 per mm ventricular, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.48,p = 0.001) and annular perimeter oversizing ≥20% (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.20 to 4.72, p = 0.013). On ROC curve analysis, MSL ≤6.5 mm, NCC depth ≥3 mm and LVOT eccentricity ≥35% were optimal threshold values to predict NP-LBBB. In Conclusion, shorter MSL, LVOT eccentricity, annular oversizing and deeper implant depth are novel predictors of NP-LBBB in Evolut TAVI. Preprocedural CT assessment of aortic root anatomy may help identify patients at risk for NP-LBBB. In such patients, modifying procedural factors such as higher implant and less annular oversizing may reduce the risk of NP-LBBB. Further evaluation of our hypothesis is warranted.

The USMLE Step 1 Pass/Fail Reporting Proposal: The APDR Position.

BACKGROUND: The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) has convened a conference of "key stakeholders" on March 11-12, 2019 to consider reporting the results of the USMLE Step 1 as pass/fail. DISCUSSION: While the original purpose of the USMLE Step 1 was to provide an objective basis for medical licensing, the score is increasingly used in residency applicant screening and selection because it is an objective, nationally recognized metric allowing comparison across medical schools in and outside the United States. Excessive reliance on the Step 1 score in the matching process has led to "Step 1 Culture" that drives medical schools to "teach to the test," increases medical student anxiety, and disadvantages minorities that have been shown to score lower on the USMLE Step 1 examination. The outsize role of the USMLE Step 1 score in resident selection is due to lack of standardization in medical school transcripts, grade inflation, and the lack of class standing in many summative assessments. Furthermore, the numeric score allows initial Electronic Residency Application Service filtering, commonly used by programs to limit the number of residency applications to review. CONCLUSION: The Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) is concerned that pass/fail reporting of the USMLE Step 1 score would take away an objective measure of medical student's knowledge and the incentive to acquire as much of it as possible. Although the APDR is not in favor of the Step 1 exam being used as a screening tool, in the absence of an equal or better metric for applicant comparison the APDR opposes the change in Step 1 reporting from the numeric score to pass/fail.

"What program directors think IV": Results of the 2017 Annual Survey of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) regularly surveys its members to gather information regarding a broad range of topics related to radiology residency. The survey results provide insight into the opinions of residency program leadership across the country. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an observational cross-sectional study using a web-based survey posed to the APDR membership in the fall of 2017. The final survey consisted of 53 items, 48 multiple choice questions and five write-in comments. An invitation to complete the survey was sent to all 319 active APDR members. RESULTS: Deidentified responses were collected electronically, tallied utilizing Qualtrics software, and aggregated for the purposes of analysis and reporting at the 66th annual meeting of the Association of University Radiologists. The response rate was 36%. CONCLUSION: Over the past 16 years, more PDs have assistant and APDs to administer growing residency programs, but the time allocation for these APDs has come from the PD's protected time. An overwhelming majority of PDs consider independent call beneficial to residents and most think a call assistant is desirable. The vast majority of PDs support a unified fellowship match and allow resident moonlighting. Most fourth year residents are actively or moderately involved in clinical work and teaching. The majority of PDs have lost or expect to lose DR training positions to the new IR/DR programs. In a competitive match, PDs do not rely on residency interviews in their selection process.

Radiology Residency Match: The Cost of Being in the Dark.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The Electronic Resident Application Service (ERAS) publishes monthly statistics before the match and the National Resident Matching Program publishes the match outcomes. We sought to determine whether early ERAS data influences applicant behavior and correlates with match outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched the 2007-2017 ERAS archives for the applicant pool size (PS), the average number of applications per program (AP), and the average number of applications per applicant (AA) in November, before radiology match, and the 2007-2017 National Resident Matching Program archives for the average number of ranked applicants needed to fill each position (ANRA) and the number of unfilled positions (UP) in radiology match. Correlation coefficients were calculated for each pair. RESULTS: PS correlated very strongly with AP (r = 0.80, p = 0.001708), UP (r = -0.92, p = 0.000063) and ANRA (r = -0.90, p = 0.000164). UP correlated strongly with ANRA (r = 0.76, p = 0.006349) and AP (r = -0.77, p = 0.005339). A trend to moderate correlation between AP and ANRA (r = 0.58, p = 0.062686) and AA (r = 0.53, p = 0.074395) did not reach statistical significance. There was no correlation between AA and PS in the same (r = -0.05, p = 0.878585) or the following year (r = 0.35, p = 0.297166), and AA and UP in the same (r = 0.13, p = 0.701983) or the following year (r = 0.32, p = 0.336136). CONCLUSION: The real-time data reported by ERAS in November, before match, is a predictor of radiology match outcomes and can be used by all participants to limit their application and recruitment costs. Medical students applying to radiology do not consider either the real-time or historic data when submitting ERAS applications.

Chest Fat Quantification via CT Based on Standardized Anatomy Space in Adult Lung Transplant Candidates.

PURPOSE: Overweight and underweight conditions are considered relative contraindications to lung transplantation due to their association with excess mortality. Yet, recent work suggests that body mass index (BMI) does not accurately reflect adipose tissue mass in adults with advanced lung diseases. Alternative and more accurate measures of adiposity are needed. Chest fat estimation by routine computed tomography (CT) imaging may therefore be important for identifying high-risk lung transplant candidates. In this paper, an approach to chest fat quantification and quality assessment based on a recently formulated concept of standardized anatomic space (SAS) is presented. The goal of the paper is to seek answers to several key questions related to chest fat quantity and quality assessment based on a single slice CT (whether in the chest, abdomen, or thigh) versus a volumetric CT, which have not been addressed in the literature. METHODS: Unenhanced chest CT image data sets from 40 adult lung transplant candidates (age 58 ± 12 yrs and BMI 26.4 ± 4.3 kg/m2), 16 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 16 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and the remainder with other conditions were analyzed together with a single slice acquired for each patient at the L5 vertebral level and mid-thigh level. The thoracic body region and the interface between subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in the chest were consistently defined in all patients and delineated using Live Wire tools. The SAT and VAT components of chest were then segmented guided by this interface. The SAS approach was used to identify the corresponding anatomic slices in each chest CT study, and SAT and VAT areas in each slice as well as their whole volumes were quantified. Similarly, the SAT and VAT components were segmented in the abdomen and thigh slices. Key parameters of the attenuation (Hounsfield unit (HU) distributions) were determined from each chest slice and from the whole chest volume separately for SAT and VAT components. The same parameters were also computed from the single abdominal and thigh slices. The ability of the slice at each anatomic location in the chest (and abdomen and thigh) to act as a marker of the measures derived from the whole chest volume was assessed via Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) analysis. RESULTS: The SAS approach correctly identified slice locations in different subjects in terms of vertebral levels. PCC between chest fat volume and chest slice fat area was maximal at the T8 level for SAT (0.97) and at the T7 level for VAT (0.86), and was modest between chest fat volume and abdominal slice fat area for SAT and VAT (0.73 and 0.75, respectively). However, correlation was weak for chest fat volume and thigh slice fat area for SAT and VAT (0.52 and 0.37, respectively), and for chest fat volume for SAT and VAT and BMI (0.65 and 0.28, respectively). These same single slice locations with maximal PCC were found for SAT and VAT within both COPD and IPF groups. Most of the attenuation properties derived from the whole chest volume and single best chest slice for VAT (but not for SAT) were significantly different between COPD and IPF groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a new way of optimally selecting slices whose measurements may be used as markers of similar measurements made on the whole chest volume. The results suggest that one or two slices imaged at T7 and T8 vertebral levels may be enough to estimate reliably the total SAT and VAT components of chest fat and the quality of chest fat as determined by attenuation distributions in the entire chest volume.

Effect of Massed Versus Interleaved Teaching Method on Performance of Students in Radiology.

PURPOSE: Radiology instruction is based on the principle that grouped (or massed) repetition of an intellectual activity leads to expertise. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the spaced (or interleaved) method of teaching chest x-ray interpretation is more effective than the massed method. METHODS: After institutional review board approval was obtained, 40 first- and second-year medical students were randomized into two groups matched by age, gender, and education experience. Both groups saw six examples of 12 common chest radiographic patterns, one grouped, the other scrambled randomly without repeating strings. After a distraction, participants took a multiple-choice test consisting of two cases in each radiographic pattern, one previously shown, one new. Results were analyzed using two-tailed Student's t test of proportion. RESULTS: Comparing interleaved and massed groups, the average overall score was 57% versus 43% (P = .03), the recollection score was 61% versus 47% (P = .03), and the induction score was 53% versus 40% (P = 0.10), respectively. Comparing second- and first-year students, average scores were 67% and 39%, respectively (P < .01). First-year students in the interleaved and massed groups scored 55% and 36% (P = .02) in recall and 40% and 28% (P = .10) in induction. Second-year students in the interleaved and massed groups scored 71% and 63% (P = .36) in recall and 74% and 59% (P = .03) in induction. CONCLUSIONS: The interleaved method of instruction leads to better results than the massed method across all levels of education. A higher level of medical education improves performance independent of method of instruction.

"What Program Directors Think" III: Results of the 2014/2015 Annual Surveys of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR).

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The Association of Program Directors in Radiology regularly surveys its members regarding issues of importance to support radiology residency programs and their directors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an observational cross-sectional study using two Web-based surveys posed to the Association of Program Directors in Radiology membership in the fall of 2014 (49 items) and the spring of 2015 (46 items) on the subjects of importance to the members, including the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education Milestones, the Non-Interpretative Skills Curriculum, the American Board of Radiology Core Examination, the effect of the new resident testing and program accreditation paradigms on training outcomes, the 2015 Residency Match, the Interventional Radiology/Diagnostic Radiology (IR/DR) Residency, and Program Director (PD)/Program Coordinator resources. RESULTS: Responses were collected electronically, results were tallied using SurveyMonkey software, and qualitative responses were tabulated or summarized as comments. Findings were reported during the 63rd annual meeting of the Association of University Radiologists. The maximal response rate was 33% in the fall of 2014 and 36% in the spring of 2015. CONCLUSIONS: PDs believed that the radiology Milestones, now largely implemented, did not affect overall resident evaluation, was not reflective of resident experience, and actually made evaluation of residents more difficult. PDs also felt that although the American Board of Radiology oral examination had been a better test for clinical practice preparedness, their new residents knew at least as much as before. There was little evidence of recall reemergence. The radiology training community saw a drop in residency applicant quality as demonstrated by the United States Medical Licensing Examination scores and clinical rotation grades. Because the new IR/DR Residency positions were to be funded at the expense of the traditional DR positions, the majority of PDs expected a negative effect of the impending IR/DR match on their DR recruitment. PDs were in favor of a unified clinical radiology curriculum similar to the Radiological Society of North America online physics modules.