Basic Concepts of Radiology

Question 1

What is a Primary Practitioner?

Answer 1

• First practitioner to screen/evaluate a patient
• Should be involved in managing patients care going forward
• Emerging practice area for OT

Question 2

Why do OT’s need to understand radiology?

Answer 2

• To understand radiology reports and plan for eval and intervention.

Question 3

Name the 3 radiological practice areas:

Answer 3

1. Interventional radiology: diagnoses/treats (place stents, catheters etc.)(vascular)
2. Radiation oncology: uses targeted radiation to treat cancer
3. Diagnostic imaging: evaluates every system of the body (breast, neuro, musculoskeletal etc.)

Question 4

Define Radiology..

Answer 4

• science of dealing with x-rays, and other high energy radiation especially for diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Question 5

Name the 2 categories of diagnostic imaging..

Answer 5

**Conventional radiography: century old technology images, captured on film or digitized image receptors.
- Radiographs, modification of radiographs
- Fluroscopy: (real time xrays used in procedures)( swallow study)
- Contrast studies: (arthrography.. injection into a joint, myelography.. injection into subarachnoid space

**Advanced imaging: whole body or sectional imaging that require sophisticated computer postprocessing. (CT, MRI, US, nuclear med)

Question 6

Pros and Cons of conventional radiology

Answer 6

o Pros:
- Fast
- Inexpensive
- Low radiation dose
- Good visualization of bones
- Screening tool
o Cons:
- Some clinical problems such as osteoporosis, avascular necrosis, stress fractures don’t show up well.

Question 7

What is a good website to use for identifying if certain diagnostic imaging is appropriate?

Answer 7

**ACR radiology appropriateness criteria website is good for looking at if certain diagnostic imaging is appropriate ACSEARCH.ACR.ORG