Dear AuntMinnieEurope Member,
Hospital doctors must now pay closer attention to what they wear at work. It's no longer OK for a radiologist to walk into the surgical intensive care unit to do an emergency ultrasound scan wearing a white coat over private clothes and elegantly toss his tie across his left shoulder so it doesn't come into contact with the patient. Full scrubs are the order of the day across most of Europe.
Wearing jewelry is another sensitive issue and some departments are clamping down heavily. Recent research shows finger rings can transmit bacteria during hand contact, prompting some female doctors to wear their rings on a chain around the neck. Rules still vary widely but you can read more about dress code by clicking here. Please do leave a comment on our Forums to share your own experiences.
Few doctors have more practical experience of teleradiology than Dr. George McInnes. He worked full time for three years as a radiologist at the Telemedicine Clinic in Barcelona and continues to report for the company in his current post as consultant radiologist at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the U.K. To read his thought-provoking guest column, click here.
The International Society for Computed Tomography (ISCT) meeting is being held in San Francisco this week. A presentation on Monday showed that model-based iterative reconstruction can reduce radiation dose to levels that could alter how CT is used in the future. Find out more here.
A new study estimates that between 4 million and 12 million female fetuses were aborted in India between 1980 and 2010. Ultrasound still seems to be used widely to facilitate sex-selective abortions, despite ongoing national efforts to prevent this illegal practice. We interviewed radiologists in India about this situation. Click here for our report.
Finally, Dutch researchers are embarking on a ground-breaking neurological program involving the use of high-field MRI. For the full story, click here.
