Piezo 101: Squeezing Electricity Since 1880 The year is 1880. Two French scientists, the famous Curie brothers (Pierre and Jacques Curie), made a world-changing discovery: the piezoelectric crystal. Their work stemmed from observing the pyroelectric properties of certain special crystals, which led them to question whether applying physical force would produce the same effect. The
Central Venous Access Device (CVAD) The optimal position of a central venous access device (CVAD) can be assessed with CXR. The goal is to position the tip at the cavo-atrial junction, which is typically located just inferior to the level of the carina. If the tip is too high, the risk of thrombus formation
Pneumonia – CXR What’s normal ? For further details on the normal CXR please see specific section here. For quick revision, in the normal CXR where both lungs are fully expanded, (because of the difference in tissue density) you should be able to see all sides border of the lungs, including the normal cardiomediastinal
Right Ventricular (Systolic) Function (draft) 1. Subjective Assessment View: A4C (right ventricle-focused view) Phase: whole period of systole In normal functionally RV, you would expect: Longitudinal motion of base-to-apex contraction The tricuspid annulus moving towards the apex Thickening of the RV free wall Reduction of overall RV area during the systolic phase SEE VIDEO
Right Ventricular Dimension 1. Right Ventricular Size RV dilatation often associated (although not always) with acute pressure or volume overload. Common pathologies includes acute pulmonary embolism and RV failure. 1.1 Subjective assessment (or what the experts called “eyeballing”) View: A4C (right ventricle-focused view) Phase: end diastole (where chamber size at max) Nothing fancy, just a
Pneumothorax – CXR What’s normal ? There is not much else to say here. You would expect in a normal CXR with full lungs expansion, you will see the vasculature and bronchial marking spread evenly to the edge of the chest wall bilaterally. What’s not normal ? In CXR with pneumothorax you will see a