High-pitch CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) with ultra-low contrast medium volume for the detection of pulmonary embolism: a comparison with standard CTPA.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and image quality of high-pitch CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) with reduced iodine volume in normal weight patients.

Methods: In total, 81 normal weight patients undergoing CTPA for suspected pulmonary arterial embolism were retrospectively included: 41 in high-pitch mode with 20 mL of contrast medium (CM); and 40 with normal pitch and 50 mL of CM. Subjective image quality was assessed and rated on a 3-point scale.

A Cross Sectional Survey of Recruitment Practices, Supports, and Perceived Roles for Unaffiliated and Non-scientist Members of IRBs.

Background: Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) are federally mandated to include both nonscientific and unaffiliated representatives in their membership. Despite this, there is no guidance or policy on the selection of unaffiliated or non-scientist members and reports indicate a lack of clarity regarding members' roles. In the present study we sought to explore processes of recruitment, training, and the perceived roles for unaffiliated and non-scientist members of IRBs.

COVID-19 Ethics Debrief: Pearls and Pitfalls of a Hub and Spoke Model.

A hub and spoke model offers an effective and efficient approach to providing informed guidance to those who need it. The National Center for Ethics in Health Care (NCEHC) at the Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, is the largest known hub and spoke healthcare ethics delivery model. In this article, we describe ways NCEHC's hub and spoke configuration succeeded during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as limitations of the model and possible improvements to inform adoption at other healthcare systems.