CT Imaging Accessibility

A growing problem – with a solution

Think back to your last visit to the emergency room. How long did you wait to see a doctor or receive treatment for your ailment? According to federal statistics reported by the Associated Press, patients nationwide spend an average of 47 minutes waiting in the emergency room before receiving treatment, a rate that has been steadily increasing every year. When it comes to stroke, the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, time to care is everything.

A Rising Level of Stroke and Obesity

Every year in the United States, about 700,000 people experience a stroke. As the third largest cause of death, behind only heart disease and cancer, it is vital that stroke patients receive emergency care as quickly as possible. When someone suffers from a stroke, it is imperative to be treated within the first three hours in order to have the best chance for recovery and to limit the negative effects.

The American Stroke Association notes, however, that only 20 to 25 percent of stroke admissions arrived at the emergency department within three hours of onset, and, once they get there, many people must wait even longer to receive adequate treatment.

Complicating this stroke picture is the rising obesity epidemic the United States faces today. A recent Harvard University study found that men with a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher were found to be twice as likely to have a stroke compared with men who had a BMI of less than 23. According to the American Heart Association, 65.1 percent of the total population over 20 years of age is considered overweight, and 30.4 percent are seen as obese.

It is vital for people – especially those at high stroke risk – to be aware of stroke symptoms, and the need to seek timely and proper treatment. Without immediate diagnosis and treatment, there's a greater chance for long-term disability. Obesity, with its increased risk for stroke, also creates a more likely scenario where access to CT imaging, critical to a timely diagnosis, will be denied because of weight limitations on standard CT scanners.

The Need for a Portable CT Scanner

One evening, a 446-pound man was brought to a New York City hospital with stroke symptoms. Due to the patient's obesity, he could not fit onto the bed of the CT scanner, which had a weight limit of 350 pounds. Staff at the hospital began trying to find a CT scanning device that could be used on the patient.

Even though the hospital was located in New York City, they were unable to find equipment that had the ability to scan the patient, illustrating a major need in healthcare. After three days, the physicians at this hospital contacted us, knowing that we had developed a portable CT scanning device for the brain, known as the CereTom. We immediately agreed to drive the scanner to New York, so the patient could receive a head CT scan and receive treatment, which would later end up saving his life.

The physician overseeing the case said that, unfortunately, the existing fixed CT scanner had weight and circumference limitations that prevented the necessary diagnostic scans of very large patients. Because they were unable to scan the patient, treatments and medications were being withheld, pending the diagnosis of hemorrhage vs. ischemic stroke.

Using the portable CT scanner, a non-contrast CT was performed, followed by a CTA, all while the patient remained in his bed. Acute ischemic stroke was diagnosed with the suspicion of a thromboembolic event associated with non-compliance to cardiac medications. "We were able to administer the appropriate treatment and the patient showed improvement on his left side and regained speech after two days," the physician noted.

Providing Proper Care

There are patients all over the United States – and world – who are unable to have access to proper medical equipment because of their weight or their hospitals' financial and personnel restrictions. My goal is to provide everybody with access to proper care in a timely fashion. This can be achieved through the ability to roll the scanner to a patient's bedside, enabling them to remain on a bed that can support their weight, and not requiring excessive hospital staff to assist in patient transfers.

Action needs to be taken to ensure that this population, at increased risk of stroke, is able to receive a high standard of care. This includes having available treatment for people of any weight so that everyone is treated equally, regardless of size. Clearly, Americans need to be more in-tune to the risks and consequences of stroke in order to save victims and their families from the ravages of the long-term damage of stroke.

In 1990, my brother was involved in a car accident in northern New Hampshire. He was brought to the local hospital, and since there was no CT scanner there, he was never checked for head injuries.

However, my brother had suffered severe head trauma that went without notice and resulted in a rapidly expanding blood clot pressing on his brain stem. He later died from that injury.

When I founded my company, my mission was to make CT scanners more accessible. Delivering that portable CT scanner to that New York hospital meant that patient could receive the same standard of care as everyone else.

— Eric Bailey is the founder, CEO and president of NeuroLogica Corporation (www.neurologica.com), Danvers, Mass. Questions and comments can be directed to editorial@rt-image.com.