Interpreting radiographic findings isn’t just the radiologist’s job any more. “Many of us have to interpret radiographic findings and results on our own, in real time, so that we can expedite patient management and enhance patient safety,” said Teresa Wu, MD, FACEP, director of the emergency medicine ultrasound program and fellowship at Banner University Medical Center–Phoenix.

Dr. Wu is delivering the talk “Ten Most Commonly Missed Radiographic Findings in the ED.” She is passionate about the role of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and sees it as an important tool that all emergency physicians should use.

“It is important for [us to] know and be able to rapidly identify things that are going to kill patients,” Dr. Wu said. “For example, we should know what X-ray findings may suggest a pericardial effusion and possible tamponade, and what an aortic dissection may look like on plain films and POCUS so we can manage the patient’s [blood pressure] correctly and get them to definitive treatment.”

Her session will provide tips for identifying subtle X-ray findings that can be missed “because they’re not screaming at you with an arrow pointing at them from our radiology colleagues,” she said.

“We need to know the critical clues that are found on radiographic studies so that we can make the best decisions for our patients.” she said. “The ability to correlate clinically what’s happening in the images that we’ve ordered is extremely high yield, and the ability to do this well can—and will—save a life.”

Teresa Wu, MD, FACEP

Ten Most Commonly Missed Radiographic

Findings in the ED
Wednesday, Nov. 1
9–9:50 a.m.
WCC, Room 145A