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Well we're back. We had an unforgettable experience and certainly want to thank the Diefenthal's KCMC, the ACR, and the University of Washington for their support. We will hopefully be giving a presentation of our travels here at UW as well as at the ACR meeting this Spring. Please feel free to contact us if there are any particular questions or comments. Thanks for tuning in.

IR demo

This past week Matt and I demonstrated some basic percutaneous procedures using the materials generously donated from the University of Washington and its associated vendors. Using a bovine liver, a few drainage bags, and a Sonosite ultrasound we showed groups from the radiology and surgery departments how to place a drain, perform a core biopsy, and obtain central venous access. A few of the attendings and upper level trainees took turns practicing with the needles and catheters. The performance was well received and it is our hope that this introduction might lend confidence to both referring clinicians and the radiologists in development of an interventional practice at KCMC.

Kili

Matt and I took advantage of our proximity to Mt. Kilimanjaro and climbed it over the New Year's holiday weekend.

Clinical service

In addition to working with Dr. Diefenthal and the radiology staff, Matt and I have had exposure to many of the other clinical services. Beyond the daily conferences and Wednesday didactic sessions, we have met informally with members of the obstetric, medical, surgical, and pathological departments. In addition to learning about the challenges facing their respective fields we shared cases and teaching materials and also tried to get a sense of how radiology benefits them and where it could be improved. Similar to more industrialized nations, radiology is relied upon more and more to make and/or confirm diagnoses, though at KCMC this power, particularly as it applies to the use of CT, is often tempered by limitations in technical availability, patient financial resources, and in some cases treatment options. Given some of these limitations, the radiological and clinical staff at KCMC are very collaborative using face-to-face consultation to optimize the imaging available and reduce redundant or low-yield testing.

Up and down

We apologize to those readers expecting more than an entry every few weeks. The Internet, though available, often doesn't work as well as one would hope and has reduced our blog.

IR at KCMC

In addition to observing the daily practice here at KCMC, Matt and I are trying to provide some instruction for basic percutaneous techniques for simple procedures such as abscess/fluid drainage and central venous catheter access. Thanks to the generous donations from the University of Washington and its associated vendors we have a supply of needles, wires, dilators, and catheters needed to carry out many of these procedures. We are currently working on a model to better demonstrate ultrasound guidance and the steps involved with placing a device into a patient. We have both given lectures on some of the basics of interventional practice and though there were many questions the topics seemed well received.

Interventional "Stock Room"

Dan and I brought basic interventional devices to donate to the department. We hope that given the local ultrasound expertise, they will also be able to do basic ultrasound guided procedures in the future such as abscess drainage. Here we are organizing the equipment for them. We hope to create a model to allow them to practice.