The impact of the radiology career on family planning: A survey of practicing radiologists and trainees.

PURPOSE: As the field of medicine witnesses evolving attitudes towards work-life balance, barriers to family planning emerge as an important theme. Though these challenges have been investigated in many fields, there has been little work done on this subject within radiology. Here we present the first formal survey of radiologists on topics related to family planning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this single-institution prospective study, a 40-question comprehensive survey was developed and distributed via email. Responses from 76 participants were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 76 respondents, a diverse number of ages, points in the career path, and practice settings were represented. A majority of respondents were male (52/76; 68 %) and married (56/75; 73.7 %). Respondents reported a miscarriage rate of 25 %, which is slightly higher than the reported rate for the general population of 20 %. Significantly more female respondents reported a negative stigma associated with being pregnant as a radiologist as compared to their male colleagues (60.9 % vs. 15.4 %; p < 0.001)). Male respondents reported significantly less parental leave than their female colleagues, most commonly reporting zero weeks of leave as compared to 10 weeks for female respondents (p < 0.001). Numerous respondents cited lack of childcare support as a major issue. CONCLUSION: We have identified several key areas of concern, including a need for improving parental leave policies, addressing pregnancy stigma, and increasing access to childcare support. Overall, our study lays the groundwork for discussions and policy changes within radiology at both the institutional and national level to ensure the continued interest of trainees and satisfaction of radiologists.

A Simple QI Project to Improve Practice Quality in Neuroradiological CT Angiography.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was continuous quality improvement (CQI) of head and neck CT angiography (CTA) in the neuroradiology practice of a tertiary care medical center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted baseline quality audits of 50 consecutive head or neck CTAs, including referrals for a variety of indications from emergency department, ambulatory, and inpatient settings. Neuroradiologists as a group used Likert-type questionnaire items to assess scan quality. Based on identified opportunities for CQI, the group evaluated alternative scanning methods, proposed action items, and implemented changes in scanning methods. After implementing the changes, the group performed follow-up quality audits of 61 consecutive CTAs. Quality of scans was compared for baseline and postimplementation patients using chi-square or McNemar tests. RESULTS: Several key opportunities for CQI were identified, namely related to coverage levels and timing. These opportunities were translated into protocol changes, standardization of methods, and in-service sessions to implement specific process changes. Using a Likert-type scale with 1 anchored at "excellent" and 5 at "poor," the overall quality of CTAs improved from 2.46 at baseline to 1.64 after implementation of QI measures (P < .01). There were significant improvements in timing and coverage, and fewer scans required quality disclaimers after CQI implementation. CONCLUSION: Using basic CQI techniques of assessment, analysis, change implementation, and reassessment, the quality of CTA scans in a busy neuroradiology clinical practice can be improved. These techniques are amenable to repeated use, so that CQI can be a routine practice to help optimize the quality of care in radiology.

Pulse therapy with amikacin and dapsone for the treatment of actinomycotic foot: a case report.

Actinomycetoma is a chronic disease caused by aerobic actinomycetes and affecting the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and bones. It causes significant morbidity and clinically manifests as abscesses and sinus/fistulae with or without granules. Early diagnosis is based on the color, size, histopathology of the granules; culture and metabolic studies are used for further species differentiation. Although sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim alone or in combination with dapsone for a variable period of time are used as first line agents for treatment, slow response to the therapy and high relapse rates have led to increasing usage of alternative agents like gentamycin, amikacin and cefotaxime. We report a case of actinomycetoma foot who had complete treatment failure with a sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim-dapsone combination and was successfully treated with combination therapy of amikacin and dapsone without any side effects.

Retroperitoneoscopic extirpation for adult multicystic calcified dysplastic kidneys with contralateral ureteral abnormalities mimicking genitourinary tuberculosis.

PURPOSE: To identify adult multicystic calcified dysplastic kidneys (AMCDK) with contralateral ureteral abnormalities mimicking urinary tuberculosis and to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of retroperitoneoscopic extirpation in their management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified a group of adult patients who were referred to us as having unilateral nonfunctioning kidney containing calcified cystic masses with a contralateral normally functioning kidney along with segmental dilation of ureter. Two patients had histories of treatment elsewhere with antitubercular drugs on the basis of imaging studies, before being referred to our center for retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy with a diagnosis of nonfunctioning left kidneys and urinary tuberculosis. The other two cases with similar findings on imaging studies were detected incidentally while the patients were undergoing investigations for vague abdominal symptoms. RESULTS: All these patients had AMCDK on the left side and a contralateral normally functioning kidney with ureteral abnormality. Retroperitoneoscopic extirpation of the nonfunctioning left renal unit was carried out uneventfully with a mean operating time, blood loss, and hospital stay of 124 minutes, 80 mL, and 3 days, respectively. There were no complications. The dissection in these cases was difficult, as the dysplastic calcified kidney was plastered in the retroperitoneum. CONCLUSION: Unilateral AMCDK with contralateral segmental dilation of the ureter may be separate entity or a coincidental finding, and it should not be confused with urinary tuberculosis unless there is microbiological and radiologic or histopathologic evidence of infection. Minimally invasive surgery in the form of retroperitoneoscopic extirpation is feasible, safe, and effective in such cases, although difficult, and it requires skills as well as experience.