Radiology Key

Chest radiograph or x-ray is one of the most commonly performed imaging tests. It is a high-yield test, providing significant clinical information rapidly, at low cost, and with low radiation…

Abdominal imaging is essential to clinical decision making in emergency medicine. According to the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, about 8% of emergency department visits are for complaints potentially…

Diagnostic imaging plays a critical role in the evaluation of many patients with blunt and penetrating chest trauma. In this chapter, we discuss the indications for imaging with chest x-ray,…

Emergency conditions of the genitourinary tract include the life threatening, such as ruptured ectopic pregnancy and renal avulsion, and threats to organ function, such as testicular and ovarian torsion. The…

In this chapter, we discuss imaging of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Although differences exist, many common themes are shared in both the selection and the interpretation of diagnostic…

Imaging of the pelvis can be required following minor or major trauma and for nontraumatic painful conditions. In this chapter, we review a systematic approach to interpretation of the standard…

In the two preceding chapters we discussed chest imaging in patients without a history of injury and in the setting of trauma. In this chapter, we focus on imaging of…

Abdominal vascular conditions demand special attention in diagnosis. First, despite highly variable presentations, they must be suspected by the clinician so that appropriate imaging can be performed. Routine abdominal imaging…

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a relatively rarely used modality in the emergency department, most often applied to acute neurologic conditions such as stroke and spinal cord injury. MRI offers…

Medical imaging serves first to diagnose disease or injury, but imaging techniques are increasingly used to guide temporizing or definitive therapy for a range of conditions. Depending on the practice…