ABR DMP case studies
ABR DMP · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The ABR Diagnostic Medical Physics Initial Certification Exam is the examination pathway through which the American Board of Radiology certifies medical physicists practicing in diagnostic imaging. The ABR describes its mission as certifying "that our diplomates demonstrate the requisite knowledge, skill, and understanding of their disciplines to the benefit of patients," and lists Medical Physics among the disciplines for which it offers initial certification. The ABR DMP case studies are 5 cases and about 2,668 words.
1Fluoroscopic Air Kerma Rate and the 10 mGy/min Reference
A physicist is surveying a new C-arm in a cardiac catheterization lab. With the image receptor 30 cm above the tabletop and a 20 cm water phantom on the table, the reference air kerma rate at the interventional reference point (15 cm below isocenter toward the x-ray tube) is measured at 38 mGy/min in the standard fluoroscopy mode.
581 words, about 3 min2PET/CT SUV Drift After a Detector Replacement
A PET/CT scanner in a community hospital had one detector block replaced. Two weeks later, the nuclear medicine physician reports that tumor SUVs in a follow-up lymphoma study appear 20% lower than the prior scan, while background liver SUV is unchanged.
532 words, about 3 min3Occupational Dose in a High-Workload IR Suite
An interventional radiologist's collar badge reads 18 mSv for a quarter, while the waist badge reads 4 mSv. The suite performs about 400 procedures per quarter, many complex.
486 words, about 2 min4Right Upper Quadrant Pain and the Choice of First Study
A 45-year-old woman presents with 6 hours of constant right upper quadrant pain, fever of 38.6°C, and a positive Murphy sign. Laboratory results show leukocytosis (15,000/µL) and mildly elevated alkaline phosphatase.
537 words, about 3 min5Mammography AEC Failure and the Phantom Image
A mammography unit fails its annual physics survey. The 4 cm anthropomorphic phantom image shows acceptable density in the center, but the AEC produces optical density that varies by more than 0.30 across the phantom when the phantom is positioned at the chest wall edge versus the nipple line.
532 words, about 3 min