From the March 2018 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Premature babies often require chest x-rays, too. However, every time a tiny infant is moved, there are risks. For example, breathing tubes and central lines can get dislodged. With the FDR Go, our NICU nurses do the imaging at the bedside.
It’s simple, safe, and causes minimal discomfort to infants, because nurses just slide the detector underneath them. It also eases tension on parents because they can be at their child’s side as the imaging procedure is performed. And the FDR Go is durable, compact, and fits into tight spaces, making it appropriate for the NICU, which is crowded with other equipment. According to our nurses and techs, it is easy to manipulate the tube and properly position it to ensure they acquire a high-quality image.
But perhaps one of the biggest benefits of using a portable DR system is that it helps improve infection control. Sick infants and children have weakened immune systems and are susceptible to infection. Any time a child is moved outside of a sterile environment, they are exposed to sick adults and other infections in the general environment.
By utilizing FDR Go in the NICU and PICU, we are able to ensure the sterility of our practice. We are not exposing pediatric patients to additional bacteria and potential nosocomial infections.
Keeping kids comfortable, earning parents’ trust
Treating the littlest and most vulnerable patients is a both a privilege and a big responsibility. At White Memorial, we continue to strive for the best possible outcomes for infants, babies and children. That begins with a compassionate, well-trained clinical team – but technology plays a central role, too.
Ultimately, a big part of successfully treating pediatric patients is keeping kids physically and emotionally comfortable. Our Fujifilm imaging equipment helps us do that, too. Children suffer fewer needle sticks thanks to our ability to see small veins clearly. Critically ill kids need not be moved from their beds, causing additional discomfort, thanks to our mobile imaging solutions. Even the colorful graphics on Fujifilm equipment make a difference in alleviating anxiety for young patients.
At Adventist Health White Memorial, imaging technology helps us deliver world-class medical care to a largely indigent patient population – a community truly in need. Parents trust our ability to diagnose and treat the smallest patients safely, swiftly and effectively, and our imaging technology helps us live up to those expectations.
About the Authors: Anthony Moretti, M.D., MBA is the chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Adventist Health White Memorial, and the regional medical director of Pediatrics and subspecialty service lines for Adventist Health Hospitals in the southern California region.
Diku Mandavia, M.D., FACEP, FRCPC, joined FUJIFILM SonoSite Inc., as a medical adviser in 2007 and currently serves as chief medical officer for both FUJIFILM SonoSite Inc., and FUJIFILM Medical U.S.A. Inc. He is also a clinical associate professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Southern California and was an attending staff physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from 1998-2010.Back to HCB News
