[Implementation of diagnosis related groups in a high-complexity health institution in Colombia].

Background: One of the greatest challenges for health care institutions is to know the hospital product (HP), defined as patients, diagnoses and resources used in health care. Proper measurement of HP allows an effective resource management. The Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) system facilitates the measurement of HP, classifying patients according to their characteristics, complexity, and resource consumption.

Comparison of metal artifact reduction using single-energy CT and dual-energy CT with various metallic implants in cadavers.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of metal artifact reduction using Single Energy Metal Artifact Reduction (SEMAR) and Dual Energy CT (DECT).

Materials And Methods: Six cadavers containing metal implants in the head, neck, abdomen, pelvis, and extremities were scanned with Standard, SEMAR, and DECT protocols on a 320-slice CT scanner. Four specialized radiologists blinded to acquisition methods rated severity of metal artifacts, visualization of anatomic structures, diagnostic interpretation, and image preference with a 5-point grading scale.

Patient size matters: Effect of tube current modulation on size-specific dose estimates (SSDE) and image quality in low-dose lung cancer screening CT.

Purpose: We compare the effect of tube current modulation (TCM) and fixed tube current (FTC) on size-specific dose estimates (SSDE) and image quality in lung cancer screening with low-dose CT (LDCT) for patients of all sizes.

Methods: Initially, 107 lung screening examinations were performed using FTC, which satisfied the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' volumetric CT dose index (CTDI ) limit of 3.0 mGy for standard-sized patients.

Impact of patient centering in CT on organ dose and the effect of using a positioning compensation system: Evidence from OSLD measurements in postmortem subjects.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency and impact of vertical mis-centering on organ doses in computed tomography (CT) exams and evaluate the effect of a commercially available positioning compensation system (PCS). Mis-centering frequency and magnitude was retrospectively measured in 300 patients examined with chest-abdomen-pelvis CT. Organ doses were measured in three postmortem subjects scanned on a CT scanner at nine different vertical table positions (maximum shift ± 4 cm).