Telemedicine-based application for the detection of inflammation in pediatrics

To assess the feasibility of using telemedicine for the diagnosis of inflammation in a pediatric population. The degree of erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation and the number of white blood cells on peripheral blood slides were evaluated using an image analysis system and transferred to an operator in a remote location. A highly significant correlation was found between the degrees of erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation as well as estimated white blood cell count determined by a remote operator and the objective measurements of both erythrocyte sedimentation rate and white blood cell count. A reasonable estimate of both erythrocyte sedimentation rate and white blood cell count can be obtained by using telemedicine in a group of children with acute infection/inflammation.