ABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate the feasibility of parameter-optimized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the first choice for imaging examination in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), and to assess the effects of quality improvement (QI) measures on shortening the door-to-needle time (DNT).@*Methods@#A retrospective case-control study was conducted. A total of 69 AIS patients hospitalized at the Department of Neurology of the People's Hospital of Wuzhou from August 2015 to July 2018 were enrolled in the study, and the head MRI was used as the first choice for imaging examination. All patients received the intravenous thrombolytic therapy with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Patients with AIS undergoing intravenous thrombolysis from August 2015 to March 2017 were included in the control group, and those receiving intravenous thrombolysis after QI measures from April 2017 to July 2018 were included in the experimental group. QI included informing the stroke team in advance by emergency physicians, treatment process changing from serial procedure to the parallel one, optimization of MRI scanning parameters, and use of rapid test instruments. The MRI scanning time was compared between the two groups. The DNT of the two groups was compared, and paired-samples t test was used. The proportion of patients who underwent MRI scan and DNT<60 min was compared between the two groups, and the χ2 test was used.@*Results@#Compared with the control group, the proportion of patients undergoing MRI scan in the experimental group was increased (82% vs 58%, χ2=4.58, P=0.032); MRI scanning time was shortened (4 min 37 s vs 10 min 21 s); DNT (min) was shortened (59.32±10.19 vs 93.48±24.81, t=7.189, P<0.01); and the proportion of patients with DNT<60 min was significantly increased (68% vs 6%, χ2=27.190, P<0.01).@*Conclusion@#Parameter-optimized MRI as the first choice for imaging examination in AIS patients with the onset time <4.5 h was feasible, and the DNT was significantly shortened by QI measures.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the feasibility of parameter-optimized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the first choice for imaging examination in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), and to assess the effects of quality improvement (QI) measures on shortening the door-to-needle time (DNT).Methods A retrospective case-control study was conducted. A total of 69 AIS patients hospitalized at the Department of Neurology of the People's Hospital of Wuzhou from August 2015 to July 2018 were enrolled in the study, and the head MRI was used as the first choice for imaging examination. All patients received the intravenous thrombolytic therapy with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Patients with AIS undergoing intravenous thrombolysis from August 2015 to March 2017 were included in the control group, and those receiving intravenous thrombolysis after QI measures from April 2017 to July 2018 were included in the experimental group. QI included informing the stroke team in advance by emergency physicians, treatment process changing from serial procedure to the parallel one, optimization of MRI scanning parameters, and use of rapid test instruments. The MRI scanning time was compared between the two groups. The DNT of the two groups was compared, and paired-samplest test was used. The proportion of patients who underwent MRI scan and DNT<60 min was compared between the two groups, and theχ2 test was used.Results Compared with the control group, the proportion of patients undergoing MRI scan in the experimental group was increased (82％ vs 58％,χ2=4.58,P=0.032); MRI scanning time was shortened (4 min 37 svs 10 min 21 s); DNT (min) was shortened (59.32±10.19 vs 93.48±24.81,t=7.189,P<0.01); and the proportion of patients with DNT<60 min was significantly increased (68％vs 6％,χ2=27.190,P<0.01).Conclusion Parameter-optimized MRI as the first choice for imaging examination in AIS patients with the onset time <4.5 h was feasible, and the DNT was significantly shortened by QI measures.
ABSTRACT
Objective To probe into the clinical application value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging (DCE-MRI) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in identifying benign and malignant breast lesions.Methods 60 patients with clinically suspected breast lesions underwent MR examination.Morphologic features,early enhancement rate,time-signal intensity curve (TIC),apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value,as well as the differences between ADC values of the surrounding normal tissues and these of the lesions were compared and analyzed.Results The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of the early enhancement rate,TIC,ADC value,ADC difference value were 0.741,0.808,0.882 and 0.959,respectively;the best diagnostic thresholds for the early enhancement rate,ADC value,and ADC difference value were 163％,1.30× 10-3 mm2/s and 0.47× 10-3 mm-2/s,respectively.The sensitivity of morphologic features,early enhancement rate,type Ⅲ curve,type Ⅱ and type Ⅲ curve,ADC value and ADC difference value in differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions was 53.1％,59.4％,43.8％,90.6％,93.8％ and 96.9％,respectively;the specificity was 85.7％,82.1％,89.3％,57.1％,75.0％ and 82.1％,respectively;the positive predictive values were 81.0％,79.2％,82.4％,70.7％,81.1％ and 86.1％,respectively;the negative predictive values were 61.5％,63.9％,58.1％,84.2％,91.3％ and 95.8％,respectively;and the accuracy was 68.3％,70.0％,65.0％,75.0％,85.0％,90.0％,respectively.Conclusion DCDMRI and DWI play important roles in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions,among which ADC difference value is associated with the highest diagnostic capability.Combination of multiple imaging diagnostic methods is necessary to improve the diagnostic accuracy of breast lesions.