May 30 2014
WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (Marietta, Ga.) has significantly decreased X-ray dose for both pediatric and adult patients after installing Carestream DRX systems with cesium iodide detectors.
The 633-bed hospital has installed three CARESTREAM DRX-Revolution Mobile X-Ray Systems, two CARESTREAM DRX-1 Systems and three CARESTREAM DRX-Mobile Retrofit Kits. All the digital X-ray systems are equipped with high-resolution, wireless CARESTREAM cesium iodide detectors.
CARESTREAM DRX-Revolution Mobile X-Ray System
“We have adjusted our techniques and now deliver up to 50 percent lower dose for neonatal and pediatric patients and up to 30 percent less dose for adult patients,” said Cindy Axler, medical imaging manager at WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center. “The cesium iodide DRX detectors are extremely sensitive and enable high DQE (detective quantum efficiency) at a lower radiation level.”
She added that “DRX systems allow viewing of images in five seconds, which helps physicians make critical decisions for patients in our neonatal, cardiac, post-surgical and general intensive care areas as well as our surgical suites. These systems also expedite the delivery of images for reading by radiologists.”
Healthcare facilities can quickly and affordably convert from CR to DR with the use of DRX-1 systems for X-ray rooms and DRX-Mobile retrofit kits for portable imaging systems. In WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center’s ER, two DRX-1 systems converted two trauma bays while a DRX-Revolution and a retrofitted mobile imaging system now perform bedside exams. The hospital’s ER has 120,000 patient visits a year.
In addition, two retrofitted portable systems serve the hospital’s neonatal ICU and surgical suites and two DRX-Revolution systems serve inpatients throughout the hospital. The hospital captures 5,000 portable exams a month. The radiology department conducts a total of 133,000 imaging studies a year.
WellStar also purchased a Carestream service contract that provides a discount for replacement of detectors that have been damaged by a drop or other accident.
For more information about Carestream medical imaging and IT solutions please visit www.carestream.com.
About WellStar Health System
Recognized as the fifth most integrated healthcare delivery system in the country, WellStar Health System is the largest not-for-profit health system in Georgia and serves a population of more than 1.4 million residents in five counties. The vision of WellStar is to deliver world-class healthcare. A national leader in the transformation of healthcare delivery, WellStar launched the Center for Health Transformation and the Georgia Health Collaborative that will have far-reaching effects on healthcare both locally and nationally. WellStar includes WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (anchored by WellStar Kennestone Hospital) and WellStar Cobb, Douglas, Paulding and Windy Hill hospitals; the WellStar Medical Group; Urgent Care Centers; Acworth Health Park; Health Place; Homecare; Hospice; Atherton Place; Paulding Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; and the WellStar Foundation. For more information, call 770-956-STAR or visit www.wellstar.org.
About Carestream Health
Carestream is a worldwide provider of dental and medical imaging systems and IT solutions; X-ray imaging systems for non-destructive testing; and advanced materials for the precision films and electronics markets—all backed by a global service and support network. For more information about the company’s broad portfolio of products, solutions and services, please contact your Carestream representative or call 888-777-2072, or visit www.carestream.com. To view Carestream’s latest news announcements, please visit www.carestream.com/news.