Lessons learned during the sliding gantry CT implementation in a trauma suite

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging Technology

Background:

• Early detection of bleeding in trauma is critical for patient outcomes.
• Computed tomography (CT) scanners in trauma suites aim to expedite diagnosis.
• Sliding gantry CT technology offers potential advantages over conventional CT in trauma care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of sliding gantry CT implementation on the time to CT in trauma cases.
• To identify challenges associated with integrating sliding gantry CT into trauma suites.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study comparing time to CT before and after sliding gantry CT implementation.
• Control group: conventional CT (2016).
• Transition group: interim suite (Jan-Apr 2017).
• Routine use group: sliding gantry CT (May-Dec 2017).

Main Results:

• Time to CT significantly decreased with routine use of sliding gantry CT, irrespective of injury severity.
• No significant change in time to CT was observed during the transition phase.
• Increased incidence of cable management problems was noted in the routine use group.

Conclusions:

• Sliding gantry CT implementation successfully reduced time to CT in trauma suites.
• Cable management issues require attention for sustained efficiency.
• Regular team training is recommended to address implementation challenges and optimize the use of sliding gantry CT.