CT Chest
STANDARD CT CHEST
- contrast used to highlight mediastinal structures
- entire thorax imaged with no skip areas
- slices are 5-10mm thick
CTPA
- hypoxic vasoconstriction -> decreased lung perfusion to areas with low blood flow
- PE – filling defects
HIGH RESOLUTION CT
- very thin axial sections (1mm)
- sections spaced 10-20mm part (thus only 10% of lung sampled)
- sections are processed to enhance the detection of edges
- no contrast is administered
- use when interstitial lung disease is suspected
- weaknesses: hilar and mediastinal structures are poorly visualised, small nodules are often missed.
DDX
Bilateral peripheral consolidation
- cryptogenic organizing pneumonia
- chronic eosinophilic pneumonia
- atypical pulmonary oedema
- Churg-Strauss syndrome
- drug reactions
- pulmonary contusion
- pulmonary infarction
- sarcoidosis
Intralobular and interlobular interstitial septal thickening
- dust related diseases
- sarcoidosis
- pulmonary haemorrhage
- alveolar proteinosis
- chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Critical Care
Compendium
Chris is an Intensivist and ECMO specialist at The Alfred ICU, where he is Deputy Director (Education). He is a Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University, the Lead for the Clinician Educator Incubator programme, and a CICM First Part Examiner.
He is an internationally recognised Clinician Educator with a passion for helping clinicians learn and for improving the clinical performance of individuals and collectives. He was one of the founders of the FOAM movement (Free Open-Access Medical education) has been recognised for his contributions to education with awards from ANZICS, ANZAHPE, and ACEM.
His one great achievement is being the father of three amazing children.
On Bluesky, he is @precordialthump.bsky.social and on the site that Elon has screwed up, he is @precordialthump.
| INTENSIVE | RAGE | Resuscitology | SMACC