scholarly journals Workload for radiologists during on-call hours: dramatic increase in the past 15 years

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. M. Bruls ◽  
R. M. Kwee

Abstract Background The objective of this study is to investigate the workload for radiologists during on-call hours and to quantify the 15-year trend in a large general hospital in Western Europe. Methods Data regarding the number of X-ray, ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) studies during on-call hours (weekdays between 6.00 p.m. and 7.00 a.m., weekends, and national holidays) between 2006 and 2020 were extracted from the picture archiving and communication system. All studies were converted into relative value units (RVUs) to estimate the on-call workload. The Mann–Kendall test was performed to assess the temporal trend. Results The total RVUs during on-call hours showed a significant increase between 2006 and 2020 (Kendall's tau-b = 0.657, p = 0.001). The overall workload in terms of RVUs during on-call hours has quadrupled. The number of X-ray studies significantly decreased (Kendall's tau-b = − 0.433, p = 0.026), whereas the number of CT studies significantly increased (Kendall's tau-b = 0.875, p < 0.001) between 2006 and 2020. CT studies which increased by more than 500% between 2006 and 2020 are CT for head trauma, brain CTA, brain CTV, chest CT (for suspected pulmonary embolism), spinal CT, neck CT, pelvic CT, and CT for suspected aortic dissection. The number of ultrasound studies did not change significantly (Kendall's tau-b = 0.202, p = 0.298). Conclusions The workload for radiologists during on-call hours increased dramatically in the past 15 years. The growing amount of CT studies is responsible for this increase. Radiologist and technician workforce should be matched to this ongoing increasing trend to avoid potential burn-out and to maintain quality and safety of radiological care.

Author(s):  
R. E. Herfert

Studies of the nature of a surface, either metallic or nonmetallic, in the past, have been limited to the instrumentation available for these measurements. In the past, optical microscopy, replica transmission electron microscopy, electron or X-ray diffraction and optical or X-ray spectroscopy have provided the means of surface characterization. Actually, some of these techniques are not purely surface; the depth of penetration may be a few thousands of an inch. Within the last five years, instrumentation has been made available which now makes it practical for use to study the outer few 100A of layers and characterize it completely from a chemical, physical, and crystallographic standpoint. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) provides a means of viewing the surface of a material in situ to magnifications as high as 250,000X.


Author(s):  
E. Loren Buhle ◽  
Pamela Rew ◽  
Ueli Aebi

While DNA-dependent RNA polymerase represents one of the key enzymes involved in transcription and ultimately in gene expression in procaryotic and eucaryotic cells, little progress has been made towards elucidation of its 3-D structure at the molecular level over the past few years. This is mainly because to date no 3-D crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction analysis have been obtained with this rather large (MW ~500 kd) multi-subunit (α2ββ'ζ). As an alternative, we have been trying to form ordered arrays of RNA polymerase from E. coli suitable for structural analysis in the electron microscope combined with image processing. Here we report about helical polymers induced from holoenzyme (α2ββ'ζ) at low ionic strength with 5-7 mM MnCl2 (see Fig. 1a). The presence of the ζ-subunit (MW 86 kd) is required to form these polymers, since the core enzyme (α2ββ') does fail to assemble into such structures under these conditions.


Author(s):  
Marcin Piatkowski

In this chapter I explain why Poland and most countries in Eastern Europe have always lagged behind Western Europe in economic development. I discuss why in the past the European continent split into two parts and how Western and Eastern Europe followed starkly different developmental paths. I then demonstrate how Polish oligarchic elites built extractive institutions and how they adopted ideologies, cultures, and values, which undermined development from the late sixteenth century to 1939. I also describe how the elites created a libertarian country without taxes, state capacity, and rule of law, and how this ‘golden freedom’ led to Poland’s collapse and disappearance from the map of Europe in 1795. I argue that Polish extractive society was so well established that it could not reform itself from the inside. It was like a black hole, where the force of gravity is so strong that the light could not come out.


Author(s):  
Michael Anderson ◽  
Corinne Roughley

The principal reported causes of death have changed dramatically since the 1860s, though changes in categorization of causes and improved diagnosis make it difficult to be precise about timings. Diseases particularly affecting children such as measles and whooping cough largely disappeared as killers by the 1950s. Deaths particularly linked to unclean environments and poor sanitary infrastructure also declined, though some can kill babies and the elderly even today. Pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchitis were eventually largely controlled. Reported cancer, stroke, and heart disease mortality showed upward trends well into the second half of the twentieth century, though some of this was linked to diagnostic improvement. Both fell in the last decades of our period, but Scotland still had among the highest rates in Western Europe. Deaths from accidents and drowning saw significant falls since World War Two but, especially in the past 25 years, suicide, and alcohol and drug-related deaths rose.


Author(s):  
Youssef M. Choueiri

This chapter traces the principal historiographical developments in the Arab world since 1945. It is divided into two major parts. The first part deals with the period extending from 1945 to 1970. During this period the discourse of either socialism or nationalism permeated most historical writings. The second part presents the various attempts made to decolonize, rewrite, or theorize history throughout the Arab world. The chapter then shows how in the various states of the Arabic world—some but not all of which have become fundamentalist Islamic regimes—Western models continued to be followed, though often with a more explicitly socialist approach than would be the case in America or Western Europe. By the 1970s, well before the shake-up of radical Islamicization that has dominated the past quarter-century, the entire Arabic world began to push hard against the dominance of residual Western colonial history.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-76
Author(s):  
S Basnet ◽  
A Eleena ◽  
AK Sharma

Many children are frequently brought to the paediatric clinic for evaluation of short stature. Evaluation for these children does not go beyond x-ray for bone age estimation and growth hormone analysis. Most of them are considered having constitutional or genetic cause for their short stature. However, shuttle dysmorphic features could be missed in many of them. Hence, many children might be having chromosomal anomaly as an underlying cause. We report a case of 40 months who had been evaluated several times in the past for pneumonia, otitis media and short stature is finally diagnosed to have Turner syndrome. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jnps.v33i1.8174 J Nepal Paediatr Soc. 2013;33(1):74-76


1949 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-224
Author(s):  
G. B. Greenough

SummaryMany papers have been written on the measurement of strain by X-ray diffraction methods and on the interpretation of these strains in terms of stresses. Whereas, during the past few years, the experimental methods of determining the strains have. remained largely unchanged, research has shown that the older techniques for calculating stresses from strains are not always valid.In this paper an attempt is made to describe some of the principles of strain measurement by X-ray diffraction methods to those who are unfamiliar with the methods. The types of stress and strain systems which may exist in polycrystalline metals are then considered, particular attention being paid to the effect of the elastic and plastic anisotropy of the individual crystals. Some indication is given as to how the earlier methods of interpreting X-ray strain measurements should be modified, but no rigid routine method is proposed for use in a general case.


2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-65
Author(s):  
Veronica Varney ◽  
◽  
Mary Warren ◽  
M Palmer ◽  
◽  
...  

A 61 year old former paramedic presented to A&E complaining of palpitations. He was found to be in atrial fibrillation, which reverted spontaneously to sinus rhythm. A chest x-ray taken at that time showed multiple pulmonary nodules consistent with metastatic malignancy (Figure 1). In the past he had been treated with amiodarone 200mg daily for 6 years following a previous diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, which had been attributed to alcoholic cardiomyopathy. He had discontinued the drug 8 months earlier, after selfdiagnosing hypotension and bradycardia. A previous chest X-ray, taken before starting amiodarone, was normal.


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