AP-HP Hospital Tenon, Paris, Reduces X-ray Dosage By 50% With Carestream Mobile Digital Radiography System

Installation of a CARESTREAM DRX-Revolution Mobile X-ray System has led to a 50% reduction in X-ray dosage at the 564-bed University Hospital Tenon, Paris, which is part of the public health system APHP. Figures have been validated by a member of the Personnes Compétentes en Radioprotection (PCR), a nationwide network of Radiation Protection Officers.

The installation is a consequence of a recent programme to modernise the hospital structure where the Resuscitation Department and Thoracic Surgery Department are now located on one level. These two departments drive over 70% of X-rays taken at the bedside and following six months of use, 60% of those X-rays are now performed using the DRX-Revolution.

“We wanted a system that was very easy to manoeuvre and operate so that it could also be used in the emergency department and above all provide us with excellent image quality combined with a low dosage,” said Radiology Department Healthcare Manager, Eric Quehen. “To be sure we were making the right choice, we tested the DRX-Revolution for four days and got very good feedback. It is very easy to use day to day, with innovations like the option of simply putting a protective cover over the detector or its telescopic column which means you can see over it when taking it along corridors. You get the feeling that this product has been developed with the involvement of radiographers.”

The addition of the new DRX-Revolution has particularly proved popular with staff working in the Resuscitation Department, who appreciate being able to control the positioning of a probe “live”, as well as the capability for tube and line visualisation. This feature uses a single exposure to display an enhanced companion image, which can be enhanced for a clear view of tubes and PICC lines or to accentuate the appearance of free air in the chest cavity. Allowing physicians to verify correct line placements in seconds or identify the presence of a pneumothorax helps improve patient care and comfort, while simultaneously reducing the need for multiple imaging exams and multiple exposures.

The fact that the hospital already had a DRX-Evolution emergency table and a DIRECTVIEW DR7500 from Carestream also proved beneficial in terms of training. “Training was fast as the equipment interfaces are practically the same,” added Eric Quehen. “The fact that we are working with a total of three compatible detectors (two on the emergency table and one on the mobile unit) gives us a real sense of security.”

Carestream’s DRX detectors work with existing X-ray equipment and can easily be moved to any DRX room or mobile DRX system, a feature referred to as the “X-Factor.” Healthcare providers can also move the detectors to new imaging systems when existing X-ray systems become outdated.