Publications by authors named "Hao Lo"

This document summarizes the relevant literature for the selection of the initial imaging in five clinical scenarios in patients with suspected or known nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). These clinical scenarios include suspected nonvariceal UGIB without endoscopy performed; endoscopically confirmed nonvariceal UGIB with clear source but treatment not possible or continued bleeding after endoscopic treatment; endoscopically confirmed nonvariceal UGIB without a confirmed source; suspected nonvariceal UGIB with negative endoscopy; and postsurgical or post-traumatic nonvariceal UGIB when endoscopy is contraindicated. The appropriateness of imaging modalities as they apply to each clinical scenario is rated as usually appropriate, may be appropriate, and usually not appropriate to assist the selection of the most appropriate imaging modality in the corresponding clinical scenarios of nonvariceal UGIB.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This work solves 3SAT, a classical NP-complete problem, on a CMOS-based Ising hardware chip with all-to-all connectivity. The paper addresses practical issues in going from algorithms to hardware. It considers several degrees of freedom in mapping the 3SAT problem to the chip-using multiple Ising formulations for 3SAT; exploring multiple strategies for decomposing large problems into subproblems that can be accommodated on the Ising chip; and executing a sequence of these subproblems on CMOS hardware to obtain the solution to the larger problem.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

With the advent of the USMLE Step 1 exam moving to a pass/fail status, Radiology Program Directors (PDs) and Associate Program Directors (APDs) need alternative methods of identifying interested and engaged medical students who are applying to their program. Additionally, undergraduate radiology medical education in the United States varies widely from institution to institution with no universal mandatory radiology component. To address these problems, we implemented an advanced fourth year hands-on radiology elective where the students were treated as first year radiology residents (R1s), giving them resident-level access to the Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS) and dictation software, and allowing them to perform entry-level procedures with appropriate supervision.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We introduce a multi-institutional data harvesting (MIDH) method for longitudinal observation of medical imaging utilization and reporting. By tracking both large-scale utilization and clinical imaging results data, the MIDH approach is targeted at measuring surrogates for important disease-related observational quantities over time. To quantitatively investigate its clinical applicability, we performed a retrospective multi-institutional study encompassing 13 healthcare systems throughout the United States before and after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: We established and evaluated a peer learning program in an emergency radiology (ER) division. Peer learning is an alternative to peer review focusing on non-punitive error reporting to mitigate consequences of inevitable human error. The central component is the peer learning conference, where cases are presented, key teaching points are discussed, and process improvement ideas are solicited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Antithrombotic medications may increase the risk and severity of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (tICH) after minor head trauma. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency, distribution, and clinical course of tICH in patients receiving antithrombotic therapy who present with good neurologic status after a ground-level fall. This retrospective study included 1630 patients (693 women and 937 men; mean age, 80.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Thin-walled cylindrical shell storage tanks are pressure vessels in which the walls of the vessel have a thickness that is much smaller than the overall size of the vessel. These types of structures have global applications in various industries, including oil refineries and petrochemical plants. However, these storage tanks are vulnerable to fire and explosions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems play an increasingly important role in all parts of the imaging chain, from image creation to image interpretation to report generation. In order to responsibly manage radiology AI systems and make informed purchase decisions about them, radiologists must understand the underlying principles of AI. Our task force was formed by the Radiology Research Alliance (RRA) of the Association of University Radiologists to identify and summarize a curated list of current educational materials available for radiologists.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite the use of imaging in many medical and surgical practices, no universal mandatory radiology component is required by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. In contrast, United States medical students are required to complete at least one core subinternship during their final year of medical school in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, or family medicine, regardless of their chosen field of interest. Students are expected to perform just below the level of an intern, performing functions such as assisting in writing notes, placing orders, and arranging for appropriate follow-up.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Rationale And Objectives: We aimed to create an open access online radiology podcast to educate listeners at any time, from anywhere. To meet learner needs and improve the likelihood of successful implementation and utilization, we assessed radiology trainee attitudes and experiences of podcasts.

Materials And Methods: We developed an educational podcast, From the Viewbox, focused on evergreen themes and practical approaches to radiology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency department CT use for acute nontraumatic abdominal pain, to better understand why imaging volume so drastically decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This was a retrospective review of emergency imaging volumes from January 5 to May 30, 2020. Weekly volume data were collected for total imaging studies, abdominopelvic CT, and abdominopelvic CTs positive for common causes of acute nontraumatic abdominal pain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the current outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although imaging should not be used for first-line screening or diagnosis, radiologists need to be aware of its imaging features, and those of common conditions that may mimic COVID-19 pneumonia. In this Pictorial Essay, we review frequently encountered conditions with imaging features that overlap with those that are typical of COVID-19 (including other viral pneumonias, chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, and organizing pneumonia), and those with features that are indeterminate for COVID-19 (including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, pneumocystis pneumonia, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, pulmonary edema, and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Abdominal and pelvic wall hernias are classically defined as a weakness or opening of the muscular wall through which abdominal or pelvic tissues protrude. The aim of this manuscript is to review the imaging findings of abdominal and pelvic wall hernias and their mimics and to discuss pearls and pitfalls for accurately diagnosing and classifying these entities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Within an everchanging healthcare system, continuous evaluation of standard operating procedures must be performed to ensure optimization of system level organization, communication, and efficiency. Using the Lean management approach, our institution introduced modifications to our musculoskeletal (MSK) radiology workflow in order to facilitate beneficial change that improved clinical workflow efficiency, reduced moonlighting costs, and improved radiologist satisfaction without sacrificing quality of care. The scope of our study included the MSK division of adult inpatient and outpatient populations at three hospitals in a single academic medical center.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We deem a computer to exhibit artificial intelligence (AI) when it performs a task that would normally require intelligent action by a human. Much of the recent excitement about AI in the medical literature has revolved around the ability of AI models to recognize anatomy and detect pathology on medical images, sometimes at the level of expert physicians. However, AI can also be used to solve a wide range of noninterpretive problems that are relevant to radiologists and their patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of an abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol of the foot for the diagnosis of osteomyelitis in patients with acute foot infection.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated adult patients (age 18 and over) visiting an academic medical center from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2015 who were imaged with MRI for suspected acute pedal osteomyelitis. Examinations were performed utilizing the departmental standard protocol.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Disorders of the kidney and urinary collecting system are common encountered in the acute care setting. Computed tomography has progressively replaced intravenous pyelography for the evaluation of most urinary tract pathology including acute flank pain, suspected malignancy, congenital abnormalities, anatomical variants, and inflammatory/vascular conditions through evaluation of the "nephrogram" produced by intravenous contrast material filtering through the kidneys. In this review, we describe the most common types of abnormal nephrograms seen on renal computed tomography, and highlight the salient features and conditions associated with them, in addition to a pictorial review with specific and interesting related cases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pancreaticobiliary injury is an uncommon entity which more often occurs in the setting of blunt than penetrating trauma. We present cases of pancreaticobiliary traumatic injuries from our Level 1 trauma center to illustrate an imaging update on the spectrum of injuries and correlation with current grading systems.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Thoracic injury results from penetrating and blunt trauma and is a major contributor to overall trauma morbidity and mortality in the United States. Modern imaging algorithms utilize ultrasound, chest radiograph, and computed tomography with intravenous contrast to accurately diagnose and effectively treat patients with acute thoracic trauma. This review focuses on the etiologies, signs and symptoms, imaging, and management of several life-threatening thoracic injuries including tracheobronchial rupture, pulmonary parenchymal injury, hemothorax, pneumothorax, diaphragmatic rupture, and axial skeleton injury.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Spinal cord injury often times is a catastrophic result of trauma. Delay in diagnosis may result in increased morbidity and mortality. Cross-sectional imaging is now increasingly used as a first-line diagnostic modality in the setting of trauma for recognition of spine fractures and ligamentous injuries that might be missed on routine radiographs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this article, we discuss the challenges in the diagnosis of acute abdominopelvic pain in pregnant patients, role of imaging, and advantages of MRI over other modalities. Methods consist of pictorial review. We review the differential diagnoses and illustrate the MRI findings in pregnant patients with acute abdominopelvic pain, including gastrointestinal, gynecologic, urologic, and vascular etiologies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

To review the classification of testicular tumors, describe the sonographic and pathologic features of each tumor type, and discuss the mimics, diagnostic pitfalls, and management of testicular tumors. Method consists of pictorial review. We review sonographic and pathologic findings of several testicular tumors and tumorlike entities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Reference values and age-related changes of the wall thickness of the abdominal aorta have not been described in the general population. We characterized age-, race-, and gender-specific distributions, and yearly rates of change of mean aortic wall thickness (MAWT), and associations between MAWT and cardiovascular risk factors in a multi-ethnic population-based probability sample.

Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging measurements of MAWT were performed on 2466 free-living white, black, and Hispanic adult subjects.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To assess the agreement between three methods of calculation of mean aortic wall thickness (MAWT) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials And Methods: High-resolution MRI of the infrarenal abdominal aorta was performed on 70 subjects with a history of coronary artery disease who were part of a multi-ethnic population-based sample. MAWT was calculated as the mean distance between the adventitial and luminal aortic boundaries using three different methods: average distance at four standard positions (AWT-4P), average distance at 100 automated positions (AWT-100P), and using a mathematical computation derived from the total vessel and luminal areas (AWT-VA).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF