New advanced CT scanner helping North Metro Medical Center quickly evaluate and treat trauma patients
In an emergency, patients will benefit from faster, more definitive exams
North Metro Medical Center announced today that they have added a state-of-the-art multi-slice Computed Tomography (CT) scanner to their facility. The new Brilliance CT scanner from Philips Medical Systems features advanced technology that produces split second high quality images, permitting doctors to see more anatomical detail in a fraction of the time needed for other tests. With this new CT scanner, North Metro doctors will be able to rapidly and definitively assess the condition of trauma cases so they can make important decisions in the critical first few minutes after a patient arrives in the emergency room.
According to Kristen James, Marketing Coordinator, “We can use the extensive image information we get from the CT scanner to generate very detailed 3D images which can be used for diagnosis and also shared very quickly with the appropriate physicians and surgeons, where needed, for pre-surgical planning and for treatment evaluation and follow-up.”
Emergency patients requiring a CT scan will benefit from the new scanner because of the ease with which patients can be set up on the table and the speed with which the exam can be completed. The Brilliance CT scanner can cover more anatomy faster than other scanners. For patients who may not be fully conscious, the speed and power of the scanner can still deliver clear definitive results. Patients who are conscious will usually be asked to carry out one brief breath hold during each scan.
“Older patients and those with breathing difficulties or some other distress will really appreciate the shorter exams,” says North Metro’s Medical Imaging Medical Director, Dr. Perry. “We’ll have them in and out much faster, and their doctors will be able to access detailed, definitive results within minutes.”
All CT scanners use X-rays. However, North Metro’s scanner uses a significantly lower amount of X-ray energy than many of the other CT systems on the market.
“While we need the critical anatomical information we get from a CT scan, we always want to limit the X-ray dose to the patient to the absolute minimum possible, especially for children,” says Perry. “Our new scanner features unique technology that ensures we get exceptional images with significantly lower dose to the patient. And, it has specific built-in pediatric protocols that further minimize the dose to children,” he says.
Another advantage the hospital anticipates is the ability to provide more large patients with a CT scan option. The new Brilliance scanner has a table weight capacity of up to 450 lbs.
“In the past, being able to handle some larger patients was sometimes a challenge, because most equipment simply can’t accommodate them,” says Judy Shook, North Metro CT Section Leader. “With the Brilliance CT, we can handle the additional body weight, and those patients will be able to benefit from this great diagnostic technology as well.”
A CT scan produces a cross-sectional image of the human anatomy which helps the clinician to rule out or confirm the presence of certain disease, and in some cases to evaluate the extent of injuries to a trauma patient, such as someone involved in an automobile accident. During the non-invasive test, the patient is placed on a table and moved incrementally through the squared off donut-shaped scanner while an X-ray beam is projected through cross sections of their anatomy. The X-ray energy passes through the patient and is recorded on electronic detectors in the scanner. This information is then sent to a specialized computer that reconstructs the information into individual slices and combines them sequentially into a comprehensive volume image of the entire area scanned. The thinner the slices, the more revealing the detail is in the resulting images, and the more definitive the exam results.
North Metro is pleased to be able to offer this important improvement in healthcare to its patients. This hospital has been providing quality healthcare services to Northern Pulaski County for over 45 years. |