Canadian Association of Radiologists consensus guidelines for the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy: update 2012.

Purpose: Contrast-induced acute kidney injury or contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a significant complication of intravascular contrast medium (CM). These guidelines are intended as a practical approach to risk stratification and prevention. The major risk factor that predicts CIN is pre-existing chronic kidney disease.

Perception of radiation exposure and risk among patients, medical students, and referring physicians at a tertiary care community hospital.

Background: It is important for physicians to be aware of the radiation doses as well as the risks associated with diagnostic imaging procedures that they are ordering.

Methods: A survey was administered to patients, medical students, and referring physicians from a number of specialties to determine background knowledge regarding radiation exposure and risk associated with commonly ordered medical imaging tests.

Results: A total of 127 patients, 32 referring physicians, and 30 medical students completed the survey.

Behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile: the leatherback turtle.

In the face of the physical and physiological challenges of performing breath-hold deep dives, marine vertebrates have evolved different strategies. Although behavioural strategies in marine mammals and seabirds have been investigated in detail, little is known about the deepest-diving reptile - the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Here, we deployed tri-axial accelerometers on female leatherbacks nesting on St Croix, US Virgin Islands, to explore their diving strategy.

Role of radiology in geriatric care: a primer for family physicians.

Objective: To present family physicians with the options available for diagnosing and treating a selection of common diseases in the elderly using diagnostic and interventional radiology.

Quality Of Evidence: Articles providing level I or II evidence were included in our review. Most articles presented results from randomized or other case-controlled studies.

Imaging and transcatheter arterial embolization for traumatic splenic injuries: review of the literature.

The spleen is the most commonly injured visceral organ in blunt abdominal trauma in both adults and children. Nonoperative management is the current standard of practice for patients who are hemodynamically stable. However, simple observation alone has been reported to have a failure rate as high as 34%; the rate is even higher among patients with high-grade splenic injuries (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma [AAST] grade III-V).

Interdisciplinary Canadian guidelines on the use of metal stents in the gastrointestinal tract for oncological indications.

Objective: To provide evidence-based guidelines regarding the appropriate use of gastrointestinal stents for oncologic indications. This document describes the use of gastrointestinal stents by appropriately trained physicians.

Methods: This document is based on a review of the published evidence and supplemented by consensus expert opinion.

Safety and efficacy of gastrointestinal stents in cancer patients at a community hospital.

Objective: Increasing scientific evidence supports the use of self-expanding metallic gastrointestinal (GI) stents. The commonly accepted primary indications are their usefulness as a bridge to surgery and for palliation to avoid surgery. These stents have been shown to have high technical success and low complication rates, leading to improved quality of life for patients.

Awareness of interventional radiology among patients referred to the interventional radiology department: a survey of patients in a large Canadian community hospital.

Purpose: To quantify the level of knowledge about interventional radiology (IR) among patients referred for an IR procedure and to develop recommendations on how to increase public awareness of IR.

Materials And Methods: Paper surveys were prospectively administered to consecutive patients scheduled to undergo an IR procedure at a community hospital. The study was terminated at the accrual of 100 completed surveys.

Successful recanalization of a longstanding complete left subclavian vein occlusion by radiofrequency perforation with use of a radiofrequency guide wire.

Treatment with radiofrequency (RF) energy can be used to ablate or perforate tissues. The latter involves lower power, higher voltage, and much shorter treatment time, and it is thought to induce much less collateral tissue damage. To date, RF perforation has been successfully used for various cardiac interventions; however, to our knowledge, there has not been a report of its use for peripheral vascular disease.