Determination of flow profiles of different mechanical aortic valve prostheses using phase-contrast MRI.

Aim: After heart valve replacement in aortic position turbulences may occur in the aortic outflow tract. Valve-induced turbulences and retrograde flow represent a loss of efficiency of cardiac output in respect to antegrade kinetic energy of blood flow. Aim of this study is the evaluation of the flow profiles of monoleaflet and bileaflet valves after aortic valve replacement.

Intra-individual, randomised comparison of the MRI contrast agents gadobutrol and gadoterate in imaging the distal lower limb of patients with known or suspected osteomyelitis, evaluated in an off-site blinded read.

Objective: To prove that 1.0 M gadobutrol provides superior contrast enhancement in suspicion of osteomyelitis of the feet compared with 0.5 M gadoterate.

Ultrasound characteristics of needles for regional anesthesia.

Background And Objectives: Needle visibility is a crucial requirement for successful and safe ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks. We performed a prospective study on the ultrasonic imaging quality of various commercially available needles. We tested the hypothesis that different nerve block needles would have different ultrasonic appearances.

Ultrasound imaging techniques for regional blocks in intensive care patients.

Ultrasound imaging techniques have gained great popularity in anesthesia during the last decade. They have been shown to allow better quality of regional blocks, improving the outcome of patients and reducing the costs at the same time, for two major reasons. First, ultrasound imaging provides information of the individual anatomic structure and abnormalities before puncture.