Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C I Doris

Publications and source records attributed to C I Doris.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

A comparison of compression ultrasound with color Doppler ultrasound for the diagnosis of symptomless postoperative deep vein thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in primary prophylaxis, venous thromboembolism still occurs in a considerable number of high-risk surgical patients. Screening with conventional ultrasound imaging to detect asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has been suggested as a strategy to improve management of such patients, but it is insufficiently sensitive. We evaluated the ability of color Doppler ultrasound to improve the sensitivity of compression ultrasound in the detection of asymptomatic DVT in high-risk orthopedic patients. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated bilateral compression and color Doppler ultrasound measurements of the entire leg in 204 consecutive patients who underwent elective hip or knee replacement surgery, using contrast venography as the reference test. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of the ultrasonography tests were determined. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) of compression ultrasound for the detection of proximal DVT were 60% (39%-81%), 96% (92%-99%), and 71% (48%-89%) respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (with 95% CIs) of compression ultrasound for the detection of calf vein thrombosis were 33% (18%-52%), 91% (83%-96%), and 58% (34%-80%), respectively. Color Doppler ultrasonography did not identify any additional proximal or calf vein thrombi to those detected by compression ultrasound alone. The sensitivity for all thrombi was 47% (95% CI, 34%-61%) with a positive predictive value of 65% (95% CI, 48%-79%). CONCLUSIONS: Color Doppler ultrasonography has a moderate to low accuracy for the detection of DVT in patients who have had hip and knee replacement surgery. Color Doppler ultrasonography does not increase the detection rate for asymptomatic DVT over compression ultrasound and thus cannot be recommended as a screening test in this setting.

Hip Prosthesis↗

Study design and baseline characteristics of the study to evaluate carotid ultrasound changes in patients treated with ramipril and vitamin E: SECURE.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity in most developed countries. Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and vitamin E therapy may retard the atherosclerotic process; however, definitive proof in humans is lacking. The Study to Evaluate Carotid Ultrasound Changes in Patients Treated with Ramipril and Vitamin E (SECURE) is designed to assess the effects of ramipril--an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, at 2 doses: 2.5 mg daily (which has little effect on lowering blood pressure) and 10 mg daily--and the antioxidant vitamin E, 400 IU daily, on atherosclerosis progression in 732 patients using a factorial 3 x 2 study design. High-risk patients with a documented history of significant cardiovascular disease or with diabetes and additional risk factors were enrolled and will be followed for 4 years. The extent and progression of atherosclerosis are assessed noninvasively by B-mode carotid ultrasonography. The SECURE trial is a substudy of the larger Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) study of 9,541 high-risk patients evaluating the effects of ramipril and vitamin E on major cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke). The 2 studies are complementary. Whereas HOPE is expected to provide information on major clinical outcomes, SECURE will shed light on the mechanisms by which these effects may be mediated.

Aged↗

Diagnostic imaging at its centennial: the past, the present and the future.

Since the discovery of x-rays by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen 100 years ago, diagnostic imaging has profoundly influenced the practice of medicine. As a result of discoveries during this period, ultrasonography, nuclear imaging, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, as well as conventional radiography, have assumed a major role in diagnostic medicine. In addition to their traditional role in diagnosis, imaging techniques are becoming an increasingly important factor in innovative treatment methods, and this role is likely to expand. In the current climate of rising health care costs, radiologists and other health care providers who use imaging must increasingly account to health care funders for the cost-effectiveness of imaging in relation to other diagnostic and interventional techniques. They must also assure minimum standards of quality and training, and determine the appropriate role for diagnostic imaging in health care systems of the future.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗