The article on page 2791, “Bilious Vomiting in the Newborn: Rapid Diagnosis of Intestinal Obstruction,” by Ken Kimura, M.D., and Vera Loening-Baucke, M.D., represents the last of the articles in the “Radiologic Decision-Making” series coordinated by Thomas J. Barloon, M.D., associate professor of radiology at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, and George R. Bergus, M.D., associate professor of family medicine and director of the family practice–psychiatry combined residency program at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City.

The “Radiologic Decision-Making” series debuted in February 1996 and focused on the radiologic evaluation of common medical problems seen in primary care. The goal of the series was to provide family physicians with practical articles on the use of current as well as new imaging technologies with a strong practical focus. The series more than accomplished this goal, providing dozens of clinically oriented updates on diagnostic imaging.

This series represented a metamorphosis of a previous long-running series that readers may remember, called “Radiographic Highlights.” That series, coordinated by Salvatore A. DeLuca, M.D., then a radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and assistant professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, started in January 1982 and ran nearly until the end of 1995. The series consisted of short articles aimed at helping family physicians make diagnostic decisions based on radiographic findings. By December 1991, when we decided that it was perhaps (even for editors) a bit too obsessive-compulsive to keep numbering series pieces, we had already published 120 “Radiographic Highlights.”

With the works of these predecessors paving their way, two new coordinators are carrying on the torch for the “Radiologic Decision-Making” series. Plans are under way for a new series to be coordinated by Mark Meyer, M.D., residency program director and clinical associate professor of family medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, and Walter Forred, M.D., residency program director and assistant professor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine, Truman Medical Center East.

Dr. Meyer says that he hopes the ongoing series will help clinicians formulate a methodical approach to choosing appropriate radiographic studies for patients with problems frequently encountered by family physicians. Articles will draw from the expertise of family physicians and radiologists and will be reinforced with practical algorithms. Contributors to the series will come from both of these Kansas City–based residency programs, although outside contributions are also encouraged (inquiries can be directed to Dr. Meyer at mmeyer@kumc.edu).

The efforts of Drs. Meyer and Forred were supplemented with guidance from two of AFP's nearby editors, Dr. Anne D. Walling, an associate editor of AFP at the University of Kansas School of Medicine–Wichita, and Linnea Korinek, a senior editor of AFP at the AAFP headquarters in Leawood, Kan. Dr. Walling and the series coordinators recognized the close proximity of editors and coordinators as an opportunity to combine talents to boost the efforts of potential authors through writers' workshops. These workshops, conducted earlier in the year, helped lay the groundwork for the series. Currently, a dozen articles or more have been written and are working their way toward publication.

We hope you will watch for articles in the ongoing “Radiologic Decision-Making” series and join us in recognizing the many fine contributions from Drs. Barloon, Bergus and DeLuca.