http://ce.rt-image.com/blog/AtlantaChildrens/index.cfm Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is a national leader in pediatric radiology, performing more than 225,000 tests a year. Children’s is proud to offer an expert staff skilled in a variety of radiology services, such as MRI, iMRI, CT, fluoroscopy, X-ray, ultrasound, and PET/CT. Children’s radiology staff includes radiologists, technologists, nurses, and child life specialists. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to enhancing the lives of children through excellence in patient care, research and education. Managing more than half a million patient visits annually at three hospitals and 16 neighborhood locations, Children’s is one of the largest clinical care providers for children in the country. en-us Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:24:26 -0400 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:20:00 -0400 BlogCFC http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss blogs@rt-image.com blogs@rt-image.com blogs@rt-image.com http://ce.rt-image.com/blog/AtlantaChildrens/index.cfm false http://ce.rt-image.com/blog/AtlantaChildrens/index.cfm/2009/10/9/Changes-in-Nuclear-Medicine Nuclear Medicine is a modality that is vital to the care of many patients; however, there has been a decline in the use of Nuclear Medicine services in many hospitals around the country. Nuclear Medicine Technologist offerings at hospitals have also declined, a victim of the declining use of this service. Many hospitals are opting to cross-train Nuclear Medicine Technologists in other modalities to ensure Nuclear Medicine positions are protected from layoff and some facilities are looking at other Nuclear Medicine options such as PET/CT or Nuclear Cardiology. If you are considering a position in Nuclear Medicine then you may want to consider the trends in the marketplace and ensure that you receive experience in other modalities like x-ray or CT or you receive PET training while in school. Melinda Dobbs, Manager of Radiology at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston Radiology Trends Infection Control Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:20:00 -0400 http://ce.rt-image.com/blog/AtlantaChildrens/index.cfm/2009/10/9/Changes-in-Nuclear-Medicine http://ce.rt-image.com/blog/AtlantaChildrens/index.cfm/2009/8/18/Childrens-RadiologyInfection-Control-Staff-Discuss-Infection-Control-in-the-MRI-Suite To what extent is there a risk of infection or contamination in MRI suites? Most patients with serious infections typically have some type of imaging procedure performed during the course of their treatment /hospital stay. MRI suites often lack basic safeguards against infection due to its unique environment; it is challenging to implement and maintain an effective infection prevention regimen while adhering to MRI Safety standards. Because of the dangers from extremely strong magnetic fields, housekeeping staff and most cleaning equipment are globally prohibited from entering the MRI suite. The resultant lack of thorough cleaning was clearly demonstrated in a recent study from Ireland that cultured infectious organisms on the MRI scanner. What are some of the reasons that such a risk exists? See above about the limitations re: cleaning equipment and non-MRI trained staff. Additionally, hospitalized children have some type of intravenous device such as a central line or peripheral catheter which adds more risk due to the invasive nature of the devices. MRI staff must understand these risks and safeguard the device and the equipment utilized to maintain that device, such as infusion pumps. Can you provide a description of the size of the MRI suite at Children's Healthcare (e.g., the number of MRI units, whether they are closed-bore or open)? Children's Healthcare of Atlanta has 6 MRI suites located at three sites around Atlanta. All 6 units are state-of-the-art closed-bore systems. Each MRI suite is quite large, ranging in size from 17 feet by 14 feet to 25 feet by 18 feet. What steps does Children's Healthcare take to minimize/eliminate the risk of infection or contamination in its MRI suite? Children's has developed numerous infection control processes to minimize/eliminate the risk of infection in the MRI Suites. These processes include: · Hand hygiene · Blood borne pathogen standards · Contaminated Sharp Disposal · Daily floor cleaning by Environmental Services under the supervision of MRI staff · Daily through cleaning of counters, cabinets and refrigerators and other flat surfaces · Cleaning of diagnostic tables (MRI tables), stretchers, pads, positioning aids with hospital approved disinfectant after each patient use · Use of an approved disinfectant with a short "kill" time to pediatric significant diseases such as RSV, MRSA, and Rotavirus · Covering positioning aids with a protective covering · MRI coils are cleaned after each patient use with a hospital approved disinfectant · The inside of the MRI bore is cleaned daily by the technologist using a hospital grade Quaternary Ammonium solution and a cleaning rod to reach deep inside the bore · Daily visual inspection of the scanning table pad and Velcro immobilizing devices · All damaged/split pads are replaced · Documentation of all cleaning and inspections For how long have these measures been in place? Most measures have been in place for many years. Recently, a new Quaternary Ammonium product was developed to appropriately, thoroughly and safely clean the bore. Children's adopted this practice in 2009 as soon as the product became commercially available. Does Children's Healthcare have a written infection control policy specifically for its MRI suite? If not, why not? If there is one, what does it say, and how is it communicated to staff? Yes, the radiology department has an infection control policy specific to the MRI suite which includes sections regarding the prevention of infection in MRI. Melinda Dobbs, RN, BSN, CCRC; Manager Radiology, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston and J. Renee Watson, RN, CIC, Manager-Infection Control / Occupational Health, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Infection Control Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:02:00 -0400 http://ce.rt-image.com/blog/AtlantaChildrens/index.cfm/2009/8/18/Childrens-RadiologyInfection-Control-Staff-Discuss-Infection-Control-in-the-MRI-Suite