Gastric and Duodenal Emergencies Vincent M. Mellnick Christine Menias The upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, is a common but potentially overlooked site of disease that may prompt presentation to the emergency department (ED), including inflammation and infection,…
Firearm-related injury is the second leading cause of death following motor vehicle collision. For every firearm death it is estimated that there are three to five other nonfatal firearm injuries. These injuries have become a major public health problem, creating…
Computed Tomography Protocols and Scan Optimization Thorsten R. Fleiter Krystal Archer-Arroyo Trauma is one of the leading causes of mortality in the United States, responsible for approximately 100,000 deaths per year. The majority of the trauma cases are due to blunt force,…
With chest pain representing one of the most common presenting symptoms in the emergency department (ED), radiologists are frequently called upon for the noninvasive evaluation of aortic and pulmonary vascular diseases. Adequate assessment relies on the ability to understand the…
Use of imaging services in the emergency department (ED) continues to outpace the growth of actual ED patient visits. This imaging surge places the emergency radiologist at the forefront of acute care. Chest imaging constitutes a large percentage of examinations…
Nonmediastinal Injury Chest trauma is directly responsible for 25% of all trauma deaths and is a major contributor in another 50% of all trauma mortality. Chest trauma may be blunt (90% of cases) or penetrating. Blunt thoracic injuries are the…
Infection of the vertebral column represents up to 20% of all osteomyelitis and is the most common infection of the axial skeleton. The presentation is often insidious. It is not uncommon for symptoms to be present for 6 to 8…
Cervical Spine Emergencies Mark Bernstein Alexander B. Baxter F.A. Mann Each year in North America approximately 3 million patients are evaluated for spinal injury. Although the incidence of vertebral fracture and spinal cord injuries is low, the consequences of a missed injury or…
Midfacial Trauma Ken F. Linnau Indications and Rationale for Repair The overt physical manifestation of facial trauma often causes acute psychologic distress and long-term psychologic sequelae in addition to the loss of facial organ function. The use of modern surgical repair…
Intracranial Hemorrhage Arash Meshksar Wayne S. Kubal Nontraumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage Initial Diagnosis Although many cases of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), including intra-axial and extra-axial hemorrhage, are due to trauma, this discussion will be limited to atraumatic intracranial hemorrhage. Abrupt onset of neurologic symptoms…