Mobile CT scanner saves lives

The survival of patients with serious accident head injuries in the hospital arrive, take in the use of a movable CT scanner with a fifth over again. Since the introduction of such equipment on the Trauma Unit of the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam to doctors on average half hours faster their diagnosis. The mortality in traumatic brain injury patients fell by 23 percent.

This is evidenced by studies researcher Kon Fung Ping Jin, who on Thursday this topic PhD at the University of Amsterdam.

Duration
In January 2004 the AMC installed as the first hospital in the world a mobile CT scanner in the trauma room. Patients who after a serious accident at the Emergency Assistance stream may result in the same space and all necessary medical examinations and acute life-saving treatments given. Lifting and transport, with all the risks that this entails, was redundant. The expectation was that the duration of the reception to treatment could be considerably shortened.

Faster diagnosis
Average is now half hours faster known how the patient is happening again, let's investigation Fung Jin Kon see. If a CT scan is required, for example because of suspicion of brain disorders, torn or crushed bodies or fractures, decreases the time it takes for a complete diagnosis of 105 minutes to 79 minutes.

Less mortality
For patients with severe head injuries, a group that prompt treatment is important, the doctoral candidate also examined the effect on mortality and functioning. That compared to the survival of 59 patients in one year before the arrival of the mobile CT scanner, with that of 49 patients in the AMC came after the commissioning of the equipment. In the first group died 41 per cent to the effects of traumatic head injuries. In the second group died only 18 percent means a reduction of 23 percent. "Theoretically, we had a fourteen-year period so traumatic brain injury patients more lives saved if we did all these new scanner had been on the trauma room," said Fung Kon Jin.

Annually, over six hundred patients due to a serious accident in the trauma room of the AMC. Ten percent of them has a serious head injury. According to Consumer Safety average annual death 5300 persons as a result of injuries caused by an external cause. Mobile CT scanners are now also available in other locations, such as in traumacentra in Germany and Austria.