Body of knowledge

Despite reduction campaigns, use rates of CT, MRI and other scans have continued to increase in the U.S. and Ontario, Canada, according to a study of more than 135 million imaging exams conducted by researchers at UC Davis, UCSF and Kaiser Permanente. The JAMA study was the first of its size to determine rates across different populations. A notable exception was a recent decline in pediatric CT.

Use of medical imaging during pregnancy has also increased significantly in the U.S., with nearly a four-fold rise over the last two decades in the number of women undergoing CT scans. Authors from UC Davis, UCSF and Kaiser Permanente said the JAMA Network Open study of 3.5 million cases was the first large, multi-center study to assess the amount of advanced imaging occurring during pregnancy.

U.S. and Saudi experts led by UC Davis Health have developed a web-based calculator that helps middle-aged women predict risks of conditions that become more likely with age. Developers said the risk-prediction calculator, reported in the journal Menopause, is unique in that it accounts for multiple health conditions at once, and identifies changing probability over time.

A novel UC Davis Health study identified five distinct types of firearm owners — early work that may help to assess risk and tailor injury prevention strategies. The Injury Prevention study identified two groups of single-firearm owners and three groups of multiple-gun owners — including a small but unique group who own high-capacity magazines and assault-type weapons, and carry a loaded handgun for protection.

Referral centers with experienced family planning specialists are the best places for removal of nonpalpable, or deep, birth control implants, according to a UC Davis Health study in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Complications were minimal and removals in the office almost always successful when conducted by experienced family planning specialists at a referral center, rather than by a primary care provider or at a community clinic.