Healthcare

ADVENTIST HEALTH WHITE MEMORIALCASE STUDY: PEDIATRICS

THE CHALLENGE: Pediatric Imaging

Whether it’s a premature baby or a critically ill child, treating little patients is a huge responsibility. In many cases, every second counts. That’s why clinicians at Adventist Health White Memorial (AHWM) in East Los Angeles depend on multiple Fujifilm technologies to do their jobs more efficiently and realize better outcomes.

THE SOLUTION: Point-of-Care Ultrasound and Portable Digital Radiography

“Oftentimes when you are dealing with sepsis or a very bad infection in a preemie, time is of the essence and you need to get antibiotics in a child within the first thirty minutes or an hour,” said Anthony Moretti, M.D., Chairman of Pediatrics, Adventist Health White Memorial. “Fujifilm’s SonoSite X-Porte allows us to place a central line in as quickly as possible to deliver life-saving medicines and decrease mortality.”

Dr. Moretti credits SonoSite X-Porte as “a game changer” in the rapid delivery of care for preemies, babies and children. In addition to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), ultrasound is used throughout AHWM’s pediatric floors and in the emergency department—where kids need speedy medical attention.

The point-of-care technology is portable, seamless, user-friendly and provides minimal interruption. In fact, SonoSite X-Porte can be up and running at the bedside in as little as twenty-five seconds. Finally, because SonoSite X-Porte allows for more rapid procedures, it also improves workflow and efficiency.

When you’re dealing with the smallest veins and vessels, the highest quality images can make a big difference. “It’s challenging to get the IVs in to their veins and arteries which are very, very small—centimeters to millimeters,” said Dr. Moretti. “So the image quality is of the utmost importance.”

SonoSite X-Porte delivers the kind of superior image quality that allows the AHWM team to get the job done. Designed with proprietary, beam-forming Extreme Definition Imaging (XDI™) technology, X-Porte offers significantly enhanced image quality. Advanced signal analysis algorithms shape ultrasound beams to a high degree of precision. This dramatically reduces artifact clutter while enhancing contrast resolution.

Digital X-rays are often a top priority in the diagnosis and treatment of little patients. That’s where Fujifilm’s FDR Go portable digital radiography system plays a key role. FDR Go can be quickly deployed at the bedside, digital images are taken in minutes, and available for reading within 10 minutes.

“When we have a critically ill child here that we are not able to bring down to radiology for an imaging study, FDR Go allows us to do the X-ray at the bedside,” said Dr. Moretti. “It decreases costs, improves productivity and

allows us to get a rapid diagnosis.”

For example, a common occurrence is when a child presents with increased work of breathing. While it could be just a cold, it could also be pneumonia, or worse still, a life-threatening condition that requires air to be drained from the lungs. In these situations, says Dr. Moretti, Fujifilm’s FDR Go provides a rapid diagnosis and can be a life-saving tool.

Premature babies often require chest X-rays, too. However, every time a tiny infant is moved, there are risks. Breathing tubes and central lines can be dislodged. With FDR Go, NICU nurses can do the imaging at the bedside.

“One of the greatest benefits of the FDR Go is that the babies get to stay in the unit. It’s minimal discomfort to the babies because all we have to do is slide the detector underneath them,” said Sarah Sarvi, NICU Supervisor, Adventist Health White Memorial. “We don't have to worry about extubat-ing or about ventilating the patient from one floor to another. So it helps a lot and it helps ease the tension of the parents, too.”

RESULTS & NEXT STEPS: Safety and Portability are Key to Imaging Technologies in Pediatrics

What’s more, premature babies and sick children are susceptible to infections. So staying put is safer for the patient. “We're able to ensure the sterility of our practice because we're not taking the babies down to areas where many sick adults have been,” said Sarvi. “We're exposing them to less and less bacteria and potential nosocomial infections.”

Finally, keeping radiation dose to a minimum is top priority when it comes to imaging babies and children. FDR Go is compatible with all Fujifilm FDR D-EVO wireless detectors, which feature Fujifilm’s patented Irradiated Side Sampling (ISS) technology for exceptional image quality at lower dose.

A fully integrated wireless system, the FDR Go is very durable, compact and easy to use. It was designed to fit into tight spaces, while allowing users to easily manipulate the tube.

“In the NICU, we have a lot of equipment. We have ventilators to move around, IV pulls, beds, everything,” said Sarvi. “The portability of the FDR Go is awesome for us. We're able to position it however we need to and make sure that we get a great image out of it.”

Simply put, SonoSite X-Porte and FDR Go are helping the team deliver speedier, safer, better care for pediatric and neonatal patients at White Memorial. Or, as Sarvi says, “Fujifilm technology is enabling us to change lives—right from the start.”

Adventist Health White Memorial: Pediatrics

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