Background A pulmonary ventilation-perfusion scan (V/Q scan) is a nuclear medicine scan that uses radioactive material to examine air flow (ventilation) and blood flow (perfusion) through the lungs. In respiratory physiology, Q is the letter to describe blood flow, hence…
Background Urinary catheters are used in the inpatient and outpatient settings to assist in draining the bladder of urine. Indwelling catheters are placed in about 25% of hospitalized patients during their hospital stay. Indwelling catheters (commonly called “Foley catheters”) have…
Background The concept that ordinary bodily fluids could yield insight into physiology emerged from the examination of urine. In fact, laboratory medicine began 6,000 years ago when Sumerian and Babylonian physicians recorded onto clay tablets their reflections on urine, thus…
Background Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), introduced in the 1980s, is a procedure that is performed with imaging to connect the portal vein to the hepatic vein through the liver. Sequelae of advanced liver disease and cirrhosis include portal hypertension,…
Background The most common valvular disease of the heart in adults is aortic stenosis (AS) with a noted increased incidence with aging. , Patients typically experience a slow decline in the aortic valve area over many years. The tipping point…
Background Radioactive iodine (RAI) uptake and scan is a direct, noninvasive test used to assess the function of the thyroid gland. RAI uptake and scan is frequently interchangeable with “RAI scan” or “RAI uptake” in clinical practice. However, the RAI…
Background Thyroid ablation is a procedure where the thyroid tissue is destroyed via radioactive iodine (RAI), percutaneous ethanol injection, radiofrequency, or laser ablation. The most common form of thyroid ablation used in the United States is RAI, in the form…
Background Cardiac stress tests are common procedures that are performed to evaluate patients for evidence of coronary artery disease (CAD). The gold standard for the diagnosis of CAD is cardiac catheterization and angiography; however, this is an invasive procedure that…
Background As a whole, speech-language pathology assessments are conducted for the examination of speech, language, cognitive abilities, and swallowing safety and function. Within the medical setting, there are a number of types of evaluations performed by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) that…
Backgound There are multiple diagnostic tests to evaluate sleep disorders. Common tests include polysomnograph (PSG), home sleep apnea test (HSAT), multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), oximetry, and actigraphy. PSG, also known as an “in-lab sleep study or sleep test,” is…