For each of the following patients presenting with acute clinical syndromes, select the single most appropriate imaging study to establish the diagnosis while minimizing the risk of iatrogenic harm.
- An emergency department evaluation is requested for a 32-year-old pregnant woman (14 weeks gestation) experiencing right lower quadrant abdominal pain, anorexia, and a temperature of 38.2°C. Examination reveals focal tenderness in the right iliac fossa, and laboratory testing shows a leukocyte count of 14,000/mm³.Graded compression ultrasonography
- While being monitored in the intensive care unit, a 68-year-old male with a permanent pacemaker suddenly develops tearing chest and back pain. His blood pressure is 180/100 mmHg in the right arm and 140/80 mmHg in the left. His most recent serum creatinine is 3.1 mg/dL.Transesophageal echocardiography
- During an outpatient clinic visit, a 45-year-old female with a history of resected cutaneous melanoma is evaluated following a recent first-time generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Her neurologic examination is notable for a mild right-sided pronator drift.Magnetic resonance imaging with intravenous gadolinium
- On postoperative day 3 following a total hip arthroplasty, a 55-year-old male recovering on the inpatient surgical floor suddenly complains of pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea. His heart rate is 112/min, and his chart notes a prior episode of anaphylaxis requiring epinephrine after iodinated contrast exposure.Ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy
Cevap
Each patient's clinical presentation correctly matches to an imaging modality that optimizes diagnostic yield while avoiding specific absolute or relative contraindications.
Each patient requires a specific imaging modality due to absolute or relative contraindications. The pregnant patient requires ultrasound to avoid radiation. The patient with a pacemaker and severe chronic kidney disease requires transesophageal echocardiography to avoid both magnetic resonance imaging and iodinated contrast. The melanoma patient with a new seizure needs contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for optimal sensitivity for metastasis. The postoperative patient with anaphylaxis to contrast requires a ventilation-perfusion scan to evaluate for pulmonary embolism.
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Selecting diagnostic imaging requires balancing the diagnostic accuracy of a modality for a specific pathology against patient-specific contraindications, such as renal impairment, severe allergies, pregnancy, and implanted medical devices.