2004 - ISSUE 4

EFSUMB.fm Seite 302 Donnerstag, 29. Juli 2004 8:28 08

EFSUMB Newsletter

EFSUMB Newsletter

302

European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology

Editorial Having just re-

more than 750 new subscribers to the

subscribe as a Society to the Journal. More

turned from the

journal since it launched in January

contributions on any subject of local or

EUROSON

2004

which is very gratifying and hopefully

international interest would be wel-

in

more societies will sign up in the future.

comed. Anything of interest in your own

Zagreb there is

The success of the Industrial Board which

country will almost certainly be of in-

much to report.

also met in Zagreb can be seen in the co-

terest to others in Europe. In 2005 the cy-

Firstly Ivan Drin-

operation in producing a report on the

cle of committees comes to an end and

kovic

Conference

his

use of contrast media in liver disease. This

new nominations will be required in a

team put on a

is to be published very shortly in the Jour-

number of areas. Publications and Educa-

most excellent meeting. Most delegates

nal hopefully in this issue and will be the

tional and Professional Standards com-

were spoiled for choice with multiple pa-

first of a number of such cooperations.

mittees are undertaking important work

and

in many areas of ultrasound in Europe

rallel sessions. These combined talks from experts from all around the world,

I hope that by the time you read this the

and it would be most helpful to have no-

recent scientific advances and what I

EFSUMB website will have been revised

minees from national societies to ad-

know many really enjoy, small sessions

and you will appreciate the new front

vance this work with new ideas and great

discussing matters of interest between

page. Many of you may be reading this

enthusiasm. I sincerely hope we are

experts. The social programme with a

Newsletter on the website as this is the

spoiled for choice when it comes to elec-

welcoming reception in the conference

most effective way of communicating

ting the new committees next year. Now

hotel, a most magnificent Mayor’s Recep-

with members from all around Europe on

is the time to think about this and even

tion in the Dverce Palace and Gala Dinner

a regular up to date basis.

perhaps to volunteer before someone tries to persuade you.

on the final evening made for a most memorable meeting. The weather was kind

As a result of contacts made in Zagreb I

so that walking around the city of Zagreb

am hoping to have contributions to the

was quite possible without extremes of

news letter in coming months on a vari-

David W Pilling

heat or being soaked by the rain of the

ety of subjects of interest to members of

Editor EFSUMB Newsletter

preceding week.

which you will find the first one here from Michael Bachmann Nielsen about

The Executive Bureau and Board of Direc-

how the Danes made their decision to

tors and Publications Committee all met during the congress. The formal reports of their sessions will be reported in the next full Newsletter but perhaps it would be appropriate to mention a few of the highlights. Ultraschall in der Medizin/Eustrength to strength with the Norwegian and Danish Societies now having signed up to provide the Journal to all their members. There has now been a total of

Ultraschall 2004; 25

ropean Journal of Ultrasound goes from

EFSUMB.fm Seite 303 Donnerstag, 29. Juli 2004 8:28 08

How the Danish Society of Diagnostic Ultrasound decided on EJU The Danish Society of Diagnostic Ultra-

benefit for our members and the budget

sound (DSDU) did for a number of years

for 2004 was in balance.

have a bulk subscription for the European Journal of Ultrasound (EJU) back in the

Surprisingly, very few of my colleagues

1990s but at the time of the journals un-

have seen it as a problem that some artic-

timely death our society had already

les in the journal are in German, as in

given up subscription. Although a few in-

these articles an extended abstract and

dividual Danish subscribers may have

legends will be in English.

mourned over the fate of the journal very few took any notice of the journal being

Apart from the journal including the

closed.

EFSUMB Newsletter it should be appreciated that national societies signing up

This is a personal view of what was and is

for bulk subscription also get a page in

considered important in the process of

their own language in every issue, and

deciding on taking up bulk subscription

this is a brilliant way of getting informa-

to the journal once again. Had it been just

tion to members 6 times a year. The DSDU

a relaunched European Journal of Ultra-

will continue to publish its own national

sound without the joining with Ultra-

newsletter 4–5 times a year but the page

schall in der Medizin I do not think it

in the EJU is greatly appreciated.

would have been possible to gather supThe DSDU, which is in the process of

port for the journal.

changing its national courses to conform In advance of the General Assembly of the

with EFSUMB’s guidelines for education

DSDU all members had received the

(perhaps more on this on another occasi-

sample issue mailed to all EFSUMB mem-

on), has a considerable number of courses

bers and in addition Thieme sent me

each year. For those attending our basic

some packages with additional copies of

courses we offer one-year free member-

the journal so that every member present

ship of DSDU. I am sure that the additio-

at the General Assembly could have his

nal benefit of receiving 6 issues of EJU will

own copy in front of him when the issue

make them even more satisfied that they

of bulk subscription was to be discussed.

have joined our society.

It turned out that everyone present faEveryone

Michael Bachmann Nielsen

agreed that the Ultraschall in der Medi-

Danish Society of Diagnostic Ultrasound

zin/European Journal of Ultrasound is an

EFSUMB’s Publication Committee

voured

bulk

subscription.

excellent journal with a high impact factor. The discussion dealt with whether to raise the membership fee or not. In the end it was decided to raise the annual fee from 200 DKK (27 Euro) to 300 DKK (40 Euro). As you can see the rise in membership fee does not reflect the full expense of the bulk subscription, but that was deliberate. It was considered important to start bulk subscription as an additional

Ultraschall 2004; 25

EFSUMB.fm Seite 304 Donnerstag, 29. Juli 2004 8:28 08

EFSUMB Newsletter Ironical footnote 304

Why Ultrasonography of the Abdomen at all?

Can someone tell me why abdominal ult-

sease. Moreover, once a CT is performed,

domen and the time until it is performed

rasonography should be performed at

everybody is happy – assuming and ta-

– if the hours, maybe days to go are con-

all? Isn’t it much better to do CT scanning

king as a fact that CT renders the utter-

sidered to be too long for an appropriate-

immediately and exclusively? The ad-

most of sectional imaging information

ly quick decision making based on sectio-

vantages are obvious:

possible. We should, however, not be too

nal imaging, there is only one way to sol-

– no more too detailed high-resolution

narrow-minded with respect to, for ex-

ve this problem: Not more and better

ample, non-calcified gallstones, or the

physician performed ultrasonography (if

lack of dynamic information in static CT

needed, repeated at any time, or as emer-

scanning. Nor should we ignore the so-

gency procedure including interventi-

metimes limited attention given to the

ons) is needed with high end devices and

patient’s history and to the clinical fin-

well trained doctors.

mini-pictures – no more depiction of obscure anatomical areas – no zooming up to magnifying glass dimensions – no more free style sections

dings, or regarding the fact that local re-

– no demanding real time

solution of ultrasonography is superior to

What we really need is: Many more CT

any other imaging modality. And that the

machines and much more CT scanning of

idea expressed in the somewhat strange

the abdomen.

demonstrations – no more demonstration of poor video printer sheets of paper

term of “one stop shopping” is fulfilled with abdominal ultrasonography as well

Or can any of our readers tell me why ab-

“echogenicity”, “sound attenuation”,

– no, we should not be mean or

dominal ultrasonography should be per-

or other obscure words).

small-minded by any means, let us be ge-

formed at all?

– no further strange terms (such as

nerous with the monotonously rectanguRoutine CT scanning without and instead

lar slicing in axial computer tomography.

of prior abdominal ultrasonography

Lucas Greiner, MD

would rather provide you with

And please note: Everbody can “read” CT

– panorama pictures of lower resoluti-

films, even the surgeon. The load of infor-

on – an easy to understand gross anatomical overview – simple non-demanding standard sec-

EFSUMB Honorary Secretary

mation in CT pictures does not exceed the levels of understanding of all doctors involved, so this is a good common basic level for communication – unlike ultraso-

tions and easy to read plane re-

nography with its complex and detailed

constructions

findings and diagnostic capabilities.

– no confusing zooming effects – displayed as fancy photo prints or on

And we should not think in terms of

big monitors with video game like

cost-effectiveness, nor should we believe

software equipment

in those who consider most of abdominal

– description in comfortable and well known terms – findings considered to be examiner independent

CT scanning (up to 80%) to be superfluous once a careful ultrasound examination including all clinical data has been carried out – preferably by the physician him/herself who is clinically responsible

lities not too closely related to the pa-

for the patient – no, we should not trust in

tient’s clinical background

such ideas.

So, there is really a lot of pros for CT re-

And do not question the time needed be-

placing ultrasonography in abdominal di-

tween ordering a CT scanning of the ab-

Ultraschall 2004; 25

– a lot of differential diagnostic possibi-