Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging for XXXX : practical and popular.

@entity1 @entity64
AIM: To evaluate the feasibility and impact of diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW MRI) as the first line neuroimaging of @entity64 at a district general hospital. METHODS: Prospective audit of all in- @entity1 admitted with clinically suspected @entity64 and referred for imaging over a consecutive 17 week period. The data collected included scan type, time from cerebral event to imaging request, and time from formal radiological request to neuroimaging. Clinicians' (general physicians, neurologists, and radiologists) perceptions were assessed by a questionnaire. RESULTS: 148 @entity1 had neuroimaging for clinically suspected @entity64 during this period. Eighty one per cent of @entity1 (120 of 148) had DW MRI as first line. Ninety two per cent of these @entity1 had DW MRI within 24 hours of the formal radiological request. Twenty eight @entity1 did not undergo DW MRI because lack of MRI safety, clinical state, unavailability because of maintenance service or lack of trained staff. Clinicians found the introduction of the DW MRI based service a significant improvement on computed tomography, especially for equivocal cases. CONCLUSION: DW based MRI service is both feasible and sustainable in the setting of a district general hospital and most clinicians feel that this is a significant improvement to @entity64 services.
