Harmful imaging procedures 'could be reduced'RSS Feed

Critically ill patients in hospital emergency departments, such as those with brain or spinal injury, who are being transferred to other institutions, could potentially undergo less damaging imaging procedures, a study has shown.

Research published in journal Radiology found that by importing data from a CD-ROM containing the patient's diagnostic medical images, some imaging procedures which expose the patients to radiation could be cut.

Scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston implemented a system that would use uploaded CD images of emergency transfer patients into the picture archiving and communication system of the institute that the patient was being taken to.

It was found that this procedure cut the rate of imaging at the second hospital by 17 per cent.

Lead researcher Aaron Sodickson explained: "Because there is no central repository for medical images or a large-scale system to transfer images electronically between hospitals, a CD with diagnostic imaging is among the most critical components in the hand-off of clinical information for patients transferred between hospitals."

In other news, MRI scans are set to assist medical professionals in the treatment of troops with traumatic brain injury.

Army Col Christian Macedonia, science adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told USA Today that the equipment will allow for more accurate diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury.

News by Serious Law. Expert legal assistance for those affected by brain injury

Posted by Matthew Heap
 

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