Physicians Pleased with Lower-Dose CT for Pediatric Patients, Ability to Perform Weight-Bearing Exams
ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 21 — Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals in all 10 specialties surveyed, treats young orthopaedic patients quickly and efficiently with the CARESTREAM OnSight 3D Extremity Imaging System, designed to offer convenient high-quality image processing for a rapid diagnosis at the point of care.
“The OnSight system is located in our clinic, so when the doctors need to check a patient’s fracture, they can order an exam and have it performed right away, which is something they find really valuable,” said David Pyatt, Director of Operations for the Medical Practice Foundation at Rady Children’s.
The system (see video link) is located at Rady Children’s main 505-bed facility, which sees roughly 50,000 orthopaedic patients a year. Orthopaedic exams are conducted frequently each week. The system is mostly used to examine intraarticular fractures—fractures that cross a joint surface—which are usually hard to heal when compared with simple fractures. Typically, patients come to the orthopaedic clinic after an emergency room visit where their broken bones are casted.
“At their follow-up visit, we assess the articular fracture with surgical decision making,” said Dr. Salil Upasani, Associate Clinical Professor and Fellowship Program Director at Rady Children’s. “The unit sits in our clinic and is part of our diagnostic visit.”
Since the OnSight exam is part of the consultation, the orthopaedic surgeon is able to discuss treatment options before a patient leaves the site.
“Patients like it a lot because it simplifies the entire flow,” Dr. Upasani added.
Prior to installing the system, the hospital would have to wait on surgical decisions—based on exams conducted after the consultation—sometimes delaying such critical assessments for weeks. “The OnSight system allows our physicians to make more definitive diagnoses in a timely manner,” Mr. Pyatt said.
The OnSight 3D system uses cone beam computed tomography (CT) technology to capture high-quality images for weight-bearing and other extremity exams that are not possible with traditional CT, a boon for Rady Children’s. The hospital has begun to use the system to examine fractures at the elbow and for weight-bearing exams on the foot and ankle.
“Those types of exams weren’t possible with the CT systems we had in the hospital previously,” Dr. Upasani said. “This system allows us to have the patient standing upright while we’re evaluating the foot and ankle. There are many changes in the structure of the foot with weight bearing, which we’re able to assess with this system.”
The high-resolution 3D image quality delivered at a lower dose is a plus for Rady Children’s. “The reduced radiation for our pediatric patients is a really important benefit,” Mr. Pyatt said.
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About Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego is a nonprofit, 505-bed pediatric-care facility dedicated to excellence in care, research and teaching. Rady Children’s—serving San Diego, Imperial and southern Riverside counties—is the only hospital in the San Diego area dedicated exclusively to pediatric healthcare as well as the region’s only designated pediatric trauma center. Their outstanding team includes nearly 1,000 physicians and nearly 1,500 nurses on staff, more than 5,100 employees, about 500 active volunteers and more than 1,200 Auxiliary members. Rady Children’s is proud to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals in all 10 specialties surveyed. Please visit www.rchsd.org.