Advancements in Medical Technology—A Priority at
South Central
South Central Ushers in New Era with 64-Slice CT
South Central has taken another step in advanced technology with the addition of a 64-slice CT scanner. The scanner captures images of a beating heart in five heartbeats and of another organ in one second, more than twice as fast as conventional multi-slice CT scanners. The scanner enables a patient to be scanned from head to toe, capturing images as thin as a credit card in a matter of seconds. This reduces the patient’s time on the table, as well as stress and anxiety. The three-dimensional reconstructed images are then formatted, allowing referring physicians and their patients to easily review and understand the findings of the CT scan.
The technology also allows physicians to see the images more clearly and rapidly, resulting in a quicker diagnosis. Frederick Vial, MD, Medical Director of the South Central Department of Radiology, says, “This incredible technology is the latest in a long line of technological advances for South Central. In the last three to four years, we have added an open MRI, a PACS system, PET/CT, a digital portable X-ray technology, a digital fluoroscopy room, and a digital radiography room. It is a pleasure to work at an institution with such commitment. I assure you, no one has better diagnostic technology than we do at South Central Regional Medical Center.”
South Central 15th in U.S. for Portable Digital X-Ray
South Central has been chosen as the 15th evaluation site in the United States for a new portable digital X-ray system. The innovative technology acquires high-resolution digital images in just seconds, allowing physicians quicker image access. The flat panel digital detector efficiently captures the region of interest at significantly reduced dose levels compared to film screen or computed radiography applications, a benefit for patients who have multiple images during few-day hospital stays.
The new digital X-ray technology has proven to be very effective in the operating room, providing a quick turnaound time. Being portable, it can go wherever it is needed in the hospital. Physicians can view the results in the operating room or at the bedside, instantaneously. It also allows multiple physicians to view the results at the same time. Digital results produce better image quality. Because the results are instantaneous, there is a greater application for the emergency department and trauma.
Detailed Brain and Heart Imaging Allows Quick Diagnosis
According to Dr. Vial, once a stroke occurs, the faster a patient can be evaluated and begin treatment, the better the outcome. “This technology offers the speed and image resolution required for rapid examination of the blood vessels in the brain, enabling physicians to make a quick diagnosis of stroke and determine the extent of the damage,” Vial says.
Single CT scans are widely used in medical imaging, but have been less useful for imaging of the heart, since a beating heart doesn’t stand still for a picture. The 64-slice CT system allows for imaging of the heart with a level of detail not previously available in the industry.
New CT Is High-Tech Alternative to Traditional Angiography
When a cardiologist needs to
diagnose coronary artery disease,
a cardiac catheterization is the
best tool. However, the speed
and sensitivity of 64-slice CT
give physicians a new way to
view the heart and surrounding
structures.
Requiring little more than an injection of X-ray contrast through an IV placed in the arm, the speed and resolution of 64-slice CT angiography allows physicians to view even the smallest arteries in the brain, heart, and peripheral vascular system. With exceptional detail, 64-slice CT angiography even allows physicians to view calcified and non-calcified soft plaque in the coronary arteries.
Setting a new standard, 64- slice CT offers patients an alternative to traditional angiography:
- It’s faster—The exam is 15 to 30 minutes, compared to four to five hours with traditional angiography.
- There is no required recovery time, since patients can leave as soon as their exam is complete.
- It’s less expensive than traditional angiography.
Multi-slice CT angiography is revolutionizing cardiac imaging so much that a separate Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography has recently been formed to set standards for training and interpretation.
“By providing a noninvasive study that can quickly distinguish blocked from normal coronary arteries, we can determine who is and is not at high risk of having a heart attack. This can reduce the amount of time a patient spends in the emergency department, and eliminate the need for hospitalization if the exam is normal,” concludes Dr. Vial.
