| Printer
version
Mercy Medical Center – New Hampton installed
a breakthrough computed tomography (CT) scanner in
September of 2003. The new helical multislice scanner
provides detailed images of the human body. According
to Kay Welper, Diagnostic Imaging Services Manager,
this advanced technology not only means more diagnostic
information for doctors in routine situations, but
its speed can also save precious exam time in the emergency
room.
The new LightSpeed CT scanner from GE
Medical Systems allows doctors to simultaneously capture
multiple
images of a patient’s anatomy in a matter of
minutes.
“In many cases, emergency room (ER)
physicians rely on images from CT scanners to assess
the extent of internal injury during the first and
most critical hour for trauma patients in the ER,” said
Cindy Peters, RN, Emergency Room/Operating Room Nurse
Manager. “Reducing the scan time by a few minutes
or more can allow ER physicians to begin treating patients
more quickly.”
CT exams are used when people are
ill or injured, or when a doctor suspects a medical
problem that is not easily detectable from a normal
physical examination.
The CT scanner assists physicians
in the examination of a variety of anatomic areas,
including spine, head, abdomen and chest.
“This
new scanner has significant benefits for our patients,” said
Welper. “Compared with a single slice scanner,
this new helical multislice scanner permits a large
area to be scanned in a shorter time with greater detail.
This allows us the speed and accuracy we need to quickly
diagnose a variety of conditions for emergency and
non-emergency patients of all ages."
The addition
of the multislice scanner complements and extends the
high range of quality diagnostic services that Mercy
offers the residents of Chickasaw County.
Originally
developed in the 1970s, CT or “CAT” scans
combine the power of X-ray technology and computers,
allowing physicians the ability to view wafer-thin
cross-sections of internal anatomy.
|
