[The decline of analog radiological collection]

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Pediatric Radiology
• History of Medicine

Background:

• Radiographs and fluoroscopies were vital for 20th-century clinical evaluation.
• Hospital radiological collections, containing case images and records, were historically significant.
• Digitization and space constraints led to the neglect and loss of many analog collections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the history of the analog radiological collection at Hospital Clínico San Borja-Arriarán (HCSBA).
• To highlight the collection's contribution to pediatric medical literature.
• To review Chilean pediatric and radiology history through rescued images.

Main Methods:

• Rediscovery and rescue of analog radiological collection boxes after a 2021 hospital fire.
• Digitization of affected but salvageable X-ray images.
• Historical review of the collection's provenance and usage.

Main Results:

• The pediatric radiological collection of HCSBA, previously forgotten, was rediscovered post-fire.
• A significant portion of the analog images was rescued and digitized.
• The collection's historical significance for Chilean pediatrics and radiology is being re-evaluated.

Conclusions:

• The rescued HCSBA pediatric radiological collection provides a valuable historical archive.
• Digitization efforts have preserved a crucial part of medical history.
• The collection serves as a resource for understanding the evolution of pediatric radiology in Chile.