University Health System in San Antonio, Texas, was one of the first health systems in the United States to install Carestream’s new DRX-Revolution Mobile X-ray systems. The new DRX-Revolution systems are part of an order for five Carestream wireless digital radiography (DR) systems to help improve care at University Hospital in the South Texas Medical Center and a new outpatient Clinical Pavilion in downtown San Antonio.
The DRX-Revolution systems are currently in use at University Hospital’s Emergency Center (EC), intensive care units, surgical suites and nursing units. The 498-bed hospital has 12 floors and serves as the leading level 1 trauma center for San Antonio and all of South Texas. Carestream’s DRX imaging systems allow physicians to view X-ray images in about five seconds, which can lead to a rapid diagnosis and treatment.
“Carestream’s DRX-Revolution is our mobile imaging platform for the future. In addition to its superb image quality and exceptional maneuverability, the ability to communicate wirelessly with our RIS/PACS [radiology information system/picture archiving and communication system] enables images to be immediately read by radiologists and viewed by physicians throughout the hospital,” said Rick Pena, University Hospital’s director of radiology.
“The DRX-Revolution delivers process improvements for everyone involved in the imaging workflow — from technologists to physicians, radiologists and specialists,” added chief technologist Chris Vineyard. “The system’s exceptional maneuverability helps technologists conduct high-quality bedside exams for our inpatients and critical care patients. Excellent quality images are available for viewing in seconds, which allows physicians to make rapid decisions that can improve patient care. For example, physicians can instantly verify the placement of PICC lines in ICU patients, and surgeons can review images in five seconds, reducing the amount of time each patient is under anesthesia.”
In addition to providing better visibility and safety, the DRX-Revolution’s collapsible column helps technologists avoid hitting ceiling-mounted monitors, door magnets and other equipment.
“The feedback from early adopters of the DRX-Revolution is that it is doing exactly what it was designed to do — solve challenging problems radiology personnel have been grappling with for years. Facilities are impressed with its image quality, compact size, maneuverability and a host of advanced features that make it faster and easier to deliver high-quality patient care,” said Diana L. Nole, president, Digital Medical Solutions, Carestream Health.
University Health System is using two DRX-Revolution Mobile X-ray systems for portable exams throughout the hospital. A third DRX-Revolution will be installed in its new 250,000 square-foot outpatient Clinical Pavilion that will open in early 2013. A Carestream DRX-1 system is installed in one of the hospital’s outpatient clinics, and a Carestream DRX-Mobile Retrofit kit was purchased to upgrade an existing mobile imaging system used for portable exams in the hospital’s EC.
For more information: www.carestream.com