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Iodine delivery rates (IDR) of five commonly used non-ionic contrast media were determined at room temperature (24 degrees C) and body temperature (37 degrees C). Contrast media of strength 300 mgI/ml were also evaluated at 50% dilution (150 mgI/ml) with N-saline. Iodine delivery differed significantly (p less than 0.005) between samples at room temperature: Omnipaque 350 (1163 mg/s) less than Niopam 370 (1311 mg/s) less than Omnipaque 300 (1422 mg/s) less than Niopam 300 (1635 mg/s) and Ultravist 300 (1636 mg/s). Niopam 300 and Ultravist 300 delivered 41% more iodine per second than Omnipaque 350 at room temperature. Similar differences were identified at body temperature, while delivery of individual media was on average 23.5% greater than at room temperature. No significant difference between iodine delivery rates of diluted media at room temperature or body temperature was identified. The results demonstrate that iodine delivery and hence vascular opacification are better achieved during hand-injection arteriography by using relatively low viscosity media such as Niopam 300 or Ultravist 300. In digital subtraction arteriography all 300 strength contrast media diluted to 150 strength are equally effective.

No abstract

Objective-To investigate conditions where, after initially negative plain x rays following trauma, there subsequently proves to be fracture, and to explore ways in which the management might be improved. Design-A 16 month prospective study. Patient details were collected from accident and emergency (A&E) review clinics and returns, A&E ward admissions, correspondence from other services, and discussions at a weekly clinicoradiological conference. The inclusion criteria comprised A&E trauma patients with normal initial plain x rays and proven fractures on subsequent imaging for the same patient event.Setting--A large A&E department seeing 65 000 new attendances per annum with full back up services. Results-55 cases were identified: 41 fractures were identified on subsequent plain x ray, six on bone scan, six on CAT scan, and two on MRI scan. The commonest regions involved were the wrist, pelvis/hip, ankle/foot, and leg. Follow up had not been arranged at the initial attendance in 17 instances and between two and 135 days were required for definitive fracture rec-

CM186, a Hf containing nickel-base superalloy is an attractive alloy, in terms of castability and thus manufacturing costs, for aero engine and land based gas turbine applications. Mechanical property and coating characterisation studies of this alloy are sparse, whilst thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) data do not exist in the literature.In service however, engine components experience severe cyclic thermal gradients and mechanical loads and as a consequence, TMF is a major lifing factor. This study investigates the TMF behaviour of single crystal and directionally solidified CM186 alloy and the effect of a silicon modified al&de coating, Sermalloy 15 15, on the TMF lives. Strain controlled TMF tests on coated and uncoated samples are carried out with an out-of-phase 180' difference between mechanical strain and temperature at 3 different strain ranges. In-situ monitoring of microcrack initiation and propagation and post-mortem fiactographic analysis are implemented to understand the damage mechanisms and coating performance.