Treatment and prognosis (article structure)

Treatment and prognosis is one of the main subheadings in a standard article. 

Location

The "Treatment and prognosis" subheading is located after "Radiographic features" and before "History and etymology". 

Structure

Pertinent information regarding the treatment of the condition including options involving operative and non-operative management should be included. Radiologists routinely follow patients pre- and post-treatment and thus having a knowledge of common treatments is important as to recognize normal and abnormal post-treatment imaging features. 

Some radiographic features are also extremely pertinent to prognosis (e.g. portal venous gas in the setting of bowel ischemia) and being able to recognize these can help value-add to radiology reports, support the clinical decision making of our colleagues and most importantly provide optimum care for our patients.

A subheading complications can also be included and these tend to reflect longer-term sequelae of the condition and/or treatment. For example, pneumonia as a complication of rib fractures. If the complication is part of the initial disease process (e.g. hemorrhage as a complication of cerebral aneurysms) then this should be included in the clinical presentation. 

Examples

Have a look at a couple of articles with this section:

• rib fractures