Utilization rates for plain film, nuclear medicine, fluoroscopy and CT imaging in pregnant women, measured by exams per 1,000 deliveries, increased 107 percent between 1997 and 2006, according to a study at one institution.

Graph shows utilization trends for each modality according to year. FL = fluoroscopy, NM = nuclear medicine, PF = plain film (conventional radiography).

Elizabeth Lazarus, M.D., and colleagues at the Department of Diagnostic Imaging at Brown University found that while plain film remained the most common examination, CT utilization increased at the highest rate.

"If current utilization trends were to continue, we would expect CT utilization to surpass plain film in 2015, as the rate of increase in CT utilization has been more than twice that of any other modality," Dr. Lazarus and colleagues wrote.

One of the most dramatic increases was in CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA), the researchers noted, a trend observed in previous research in the general population. "Our data demonstrate that the increased utilization of CTPA is occurring in the pregnant population as well and has not resulted in a decrease in nuclear medicine scans performed to evaluate for pulmonary embolus."

Of all exams with available data, Lazarus and colleagues found that the fetus was within the beam of radiation in 15 percent. Of those exams, 85 percent were reported normal or revealed only hydronephrosis associated with pregnancy. "Despite the increase in the number of abdominal and pelvic CT exams during our study, the percentage of positive exams did not decrease," the authors wrote. "This supports the assumption that the increase in examinations was not due to inappropriate imaging."

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May Public Information Activities Focus on Stroke

In recognition of American Stroke Month in May, RSNA will distribute public service announcements (PSAs) focusing on:

• Signs of stroke

• Stroke imaging

• Interventional treatments for stroke

• Importance of receiving stroke treatment quickly

In addition to the PSAs, RSNA will distribute the "60-Second Checkup" audio program to radio stations. 60-Second Checkup, which also focuses on stroke imaging this month, starts with a short introduction by a reporter and includes a brief interview with an expert.

Media Coverage of Radiology

In March, media outlets carried 208 news stories generated by articles appearing in the print and online editions of Radiology. These stories reached an estimated 142 million people.

News releases promoted findings from a study on the stress induced by waiting for breast biopsy results (Radiology 2009;250:631-637) and the study by Lazarus et. al. (see above) on imaging utilization in pregnant patients (Radiology 2009; 10.1148/radiol.2512080736).

Coverage included The New York Times, Daily Herald (Chicago), Woman's World, RT Image, Ivanhoe News Wire, United Press International, KCBS-AM (San Francisco), WFLA-TV (Tampa, Fla.), WBAL-TV (Baltimore), KSDK-TV (St. Louis), KGW-TV (Portland, Ore.), WTLV-TV (Jacksonville, Fla.), WCNC-TV (Charlotte, N.C.), WCMH-TV (Columbus, Ohio), KMBC-TV (Kansas City, Mo.) and WWBT-TV (Richmond, Va.), Yahoo! News, WebMD, MSN Health, Discovery Health, Everyday Health, nytimes.com, cnn.com, forbes.com, usnews.com, washingtonpost.com, modernmedicine.com and iVillage.com.

In late March, a news release was issued about a special report on CT imaging of the famous bust of Nefertiti (Radiology 2009;251:233-240). The story received widespread international coverage with 463 media placements reaching an estimated 322 million people. Prominent coverage included Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Philadelphia Inquirer, Science, Yahoo! News, ABC News Online, MSNBC.com, Newsweek.com, NYTimes.com, Discovery.com and nationalgeographic.com.

RSNA | Journals

Radiology Among 100 Most Influential Journals