Unstable SCI, can they move arms in CT?

[sjasmd at aol.com]

let me be perfectly clear this time:

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE ARMS BE RAISED ABOVE THE ABDOMEN WHEN PERFORMING ABDOMINAL CT FOR TRAUMA. STREAK ARTEFACTS COMPLETELY DISTORT THE IMAGES IF THE ARMS ARE DOWN. THE STUDIES ARE VERY MUCH LESS DIAGNOSTIC.


sal


-----Original Message-----
From: johan.malmgren at vgregion.se
To: trauma-list at trauma.org
Sent: Tue, 4 Sep 2007 12:25 pm
Subject: Re: Unstable SCI, can they move arms in CT?



Well honestly I had never ever thought of it either until this issue was raised at this meeting today. It turns out that our radiologists claim that to have the best possible quality over specifically the liver, they specifically mentioned liver lacerations, they need to get rid of the arms. I'm not a radiologist so I'm not the one to criticize, I frankly consider them really good at what they do, but it would be interesting to see what other radiologists on this list has to say?about this!

I know remember that in the general chaos that the combination trauma pt + CT usually ends up in, there's often a voice going "is it ok if we lift the arms?" and some other voice answering "yes", but I've always thought that was in the back of my head...

To me this was a non-issue before this meeting.


?

Johan?Malmgren?
Resident,?Anaesthesia,?Critical?Care?&?Traumatology
Dept?of?Anaesthesia?and?Critical?Care
Sahlgrenska?University?Hospital
Gothenburg,?Sweden
+46313428073?[Work]
+46707696961?[Mobile]



I'm afraid you're being met with silence on this issue because there is no good data on arm motion affecting SCI patients. Frankly I've never considered it an issue, nor have I ever heard/read about a case of arm motion worsening SCI. The only contraindication to raising the arms above the head for CT at our institution is pain do to UE fractures.

Has anyone else ever thought that arm raising was an issue?

Bill Bromberg

= 


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