The UF Family of hybrid phantoms of the pregnant female for computational radiation dosimetry.

Efforts to assess in utero radiation doses and related quantities to the developing fetus should account for the presence of the surrounding maternal tissues. Maternal tissues can provide varying levels of protection to the fetus by shielding externally-emitted radiation or, alternatively, can become sources of internally-emitted radiation following the biokinetic uptake of medically-administered radiopharmaceuticals or radionuclides located in the surrounding environment--as in the case of the European Union's SOLO project (Epidemiological Studies of Exposed Southern Urals Populations). The University of Florida had previously addressed limitations in available computational phantom representation of the developing fetus by constructing a series of hybrid computational fetal phantoms at eight different ages and three weight percentiles.

Design and implementation of a stand-alone chest pain evaluation center within an academic emergency department.

Chest pain is a common presenting symptom for emergency department (ED) patients; however, a thorough cardiac evaluation can be difficult to complete within the ED setting. Implementation of a stand-alone unit for the evaluation of chest pain may improve care for patients with chest pain. We designed a protocol for identifying patients without an acute coronary syndrome and with low-to-intermediate likelihood of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD).

The UF family of hybrid phantoms of the developing human fetus for computational radiation dosimetry.

Historically, the development of computational phantoms for radiation dosimetry has primarily been directed at capturing and representing adult and pediatric anatomy, with less emphasis devoted to models of the human fetus. As concern grows over possible radiation-induced cancers from medical and non-medical exposures of the pregnant female, the need to better quantify fetal radiation doses, particularly at the organ-level, also increases. Studies such as the European Union's SOLO (Epidemiological Studies of Exposed Southern Urals Populations) hope to improve our understanding of cancer risks following chronic in utero radiation exposure.

Use of 320-detector computed tomographic angiography for infants and young children with congenital heart disease.

Pediatric patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) face a lifetime of treatment with interventional therapeutic and palliative procedures. Echocardiography remains the mainstay for noninvasive imaging of congenital heart lesions. This often is supplemented with diagnostic cardiac catheterization for additional anatomic and physiologic characterization.

Responsible use of computed tomography in the evaluation of coronary artery disease and chest pain.

Many options are available to clinicians for the noninvasive evaluation of the cardiovascular system and patient concerns about chest discomfort. Cardiac computed tomography (CT) is a rapidly advancing field of noninvasive imaging. Computed tomography incorporates coronary artery calcium scoring, coronary angiography, ventricular functional analysis, and information about noncardiac thoracic anatomy.

MR imaging in ischemic heart disease.

This article reviews the current MR imaging literature with respect to ischemic heart disease and focuses on the clinical practicalities of cardiac MR imaging today.