The dual energy CT (DECT) technology has been recently employed in the form of two X-ray sources of different energies to enhance the contrast between adjacent structures. Its use in the cardiac arena has been widely highlighted due to the higher temporal resolution. However, it may also be used in the craniocervical and peripheral vasculature for better differentiation between contrast-enhanced vascular lumina and calcified plaques, in the characterisation of ureteric stones, and in the evaluation of hepatic lesions. The objective of this paper is to revisit DECT physics, review the literature and discuss its use in CT neuroangiography with case illustrations from our institution, and impact on dose savings.
Cerebral Angiography ; Constriction, Pathologic ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; diagnosis ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiography, Dual-Energy Scanned Projection ; methods ; Review Literature as Topic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

Introduction: Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are designed to accommodate large numbers of geographically dispersed learners. Few healthcare students receive exposure in travel medicine. We aimed as partner medical universities to develop a novel introductory MOOC in travel medicine suitable for undergraduate healthcare students, and to evaluate it among a cohort of learners. Methods: A course development team, comprising a senior travel medicine academic from National University of Ireland Galway, local International Medical University faculty and instructional/graphic designers, was convened in November 2017. The MOOC proposal was subsequently refined. Course construction commenced in December 2017 and involved communication between team members based in Malaysia and Ireland. Lectures were recorded in January-July 2018. Development of learning and assessment material and the pilot phase were completed in December 2019. Course evaluation was based on the results of a questionnaire and qualitative free text comments from users. Results: The MOOC is being delivered to a multinational cohort on a rolling basis. It is organised into five four-themed units: travel health risk assessment; pre-travel health advice; tropical infectious diseases; specialised travellers; and illness in returned travellers. Pedagogical methods include short video lectures, journal articles, a discussion forum, and self-assessment quizzes. Learners have the option of completing an online test to receive a certificate of achievement. Participant evaluation from the first run of the MOOC has revealed very high levels of satisfaction with content and mode of delivery. Conclusions This is the first MOOC in travel medicine and it may provide a model for development of other collaborative international e-learning courses. It will address a significant deficit in undergraduate health professional education.
Travel Medicine ; Global Health ; Education, Medical

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has developed the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) on Falls Prevention among Older Adults Living in the Community to provide health professionals in Singapore with recommendations for evidence-based assessments and interventions for falls prevention. This article reproduces the introduction and executive summary of the key recommendations from the HPB-MOH CPG on Falls Prevention among Older Adults Living in the Community for the information of SMJ readers. The chapters and page numbers mentioned in the reproduced extract refer to the full text of the guidelines, which are available from the Health Promotion Board website: http://www.hpb.gov. sg/cpg-falls-prevention. The recommendations should be used with reference to the full text of the guidelines. Following this article are multiple choice questions based on the full text of the guidelines.
Accidental Falls ; prevention & control ; Aged ; Environment ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Geriatrics ; standards ; Health Promotion ; methods ; Housing ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Risk Assessment ; methods ; Singapore ; Social Class