The MR Diagnostics Incubator System
A solution for a large but previously unsolved problem has been solved by LMT Lammers Medical Technology GmbH, which specialises in the interface of neonatology and radiology.
Paediatrics
PACS improves care in Italy’s largest children’s hospital
Located in Vatican City in the heart of Rome, the Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù not only profits from a literally blessed base but also from an advanced IT-infrastructure in the radiology department. For over a year and a half, the largest children’s hospital in Italy has worked with the Carestream PACS, connecting the institution with two cooperating sites, one in Palidoro, one in St.…
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound - the benefits for children
For the paediatric radiologist an ultrasound system is as essential as a wrench for the mechanic, for three reasons, says Professor Michel Claudon, Head of the Department of Radiology at the Children's Hospital of Brabois, University of Nancy, France: ‘High image quality due to the low weight of children, which allows medium frequency, the absence of radiation and the possibility of performing…
Radiologists need specific knowledge to assess children and adolescents
Comprehensive additional training is necessary in Germany, to specialise in paediatric radiology, and only seven among the country’s 35 university hospitals provide paediatric radiology professorships. Thus, there are only about 80 specialists in this field and very few work in private practice
Congenital heart disease
New research carried out in the UK has revealed that young children with congenital heart disease are at risk of having harmful toxins in their blood, particularly following surgery. Mark Nicholls reports
From pre-natal diagnostics to 3-D baby-facing
Prenatal ultrasound images are the first images we see of new humans. But the prenatal ultrasound first carried out by Professor Ian Donald in the late 50s has little to do with today’s potential with 3-D and 4-D imaging with Doppler and colour Doppler. The three tightly linked disciplines gynaecology, prenatal medicine and obstetrics would now be inconceivable without ultrasound
SWEET news: A paediatric diabetes network
For three years the SWEET project, funded by the EU and the International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD), has been preparing the establishment of centres of reference (CORs) for childhood diabetes. Now, the first 12 European CORs that are certified by SWEET have joined forces to promote improved cross-border cooperation in the treatment of young Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics.
Childhood TB: Decreasing and rising in the EU and EEA
Although the overall rates of childhood tuberculosis (TB) are decreasing in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA), childhood TB is actually rising in certain countries.
Bariatric surgery: A last resort -- or the only way to go?
More than half of the European population is overweight, or worst, obese. When diet and lifestyle changes do not result in permanent weight reduction in obese patients, bariatric surgery is now considered a final option. But, that’s far too late, says Professor Rudolf A Weiner, head of the surgical department at Sachsenhausen Hospital in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, and President of the German…
Laboratory challenges in disasters and world tragedies
This May, IFCC WorldLab Berlin with its manifold scientific programme gives clinical lab physicians the opportunity to see over the rim of the tea cup of their working field. Within the congress theme ‘Healing the world’ comes an exciting lecture on laboratory work in third world countries and disaster areas.
How can we measure infants' pain after an operation?
It turns out to be difficult to find out exactly how much a child who cannot yet speak suffers after a surgical operation. Researchers at the University Hospital of La Paz, in Madrid, have validated the 'Llanto' scale, the first, and only, tool in Spanish which measures infant pain rapidly and simply.
Article • Artificial insemination
France: The country’s first ‘saviour sibling’ is a ‘double-hope baby’
The birth, in France, of its first baby to be conceived by artificial insemination on top of the selection of an embryo based on its blood, has sent new flames into the hot parliamentary debate over the reform of bioethics law.
Human milk is medicine for pre-term babies
This is the claim made by Dr Paula Meier during event discussions in the lead up to Medela’s 6th International Breastfeeding and Lactation Symposium (Amsterdam, 15-16 April 2011). Although the benefits of human milk for infants in neonatal intensive care units is widely accepted, there has been a lack of focus on how to encourage and support mothers of preterm infants to stimulate and…
Anything but standard
Although paediatric laboratory medicine and clinical chemistry is a well and long established scientific field, it is still a challenging one with its own special problems, as Dr Massimiliano Cantinotti, Paediatric Cardiologist Consultant at Fondazione G Monasterio, National Research Institute, Massa, Italy, well knows.
Bacterial or viral? – Name it! Beat it!
The smaller the child, the more defenceless it is against viral and bacterial attacks. That is why infection accompanied by the symptom of a high temperature is the most common illness in children. So, when a child has a runny nose and fever an infection is clear. The more elemental question is: Should it be treated with antibiotics?
Does a foetus think - if so, how?
Ultrasound is the undisputed choice for foetal imaging. However, the lack of amniotic fluid, an unfavourable foetal position or maternal obesity could daunt even the best radiographer. In such circumstances prenatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – a non-invasive and non-irradiating procedure – is a helpful diagnostic tool.
Type 2 diabetes in children on the rise
There are about 285 million diabetics worldwide, representing 6.4 % of the adult population (20-79 age group). According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF) figures, the number is expected to reach some 438 million by 2030. While in the past, Type 2 diabetes was often thought of as a disease of the elderly, there is now a rising trend of Type 2 diabetes in younger age groups.
Will insulin analogues for children no longer be free of charge in Germany?
Since February 2008, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has been trying to exclude short acting insulin analogues completely from reimbursement by the statutory medical insurers. Why? Insulin analogues are 30% more expensive than human insulin.
New GE technology powers sick babies’ journeys within hospitals
GE Healthcare has introduced to the European market the Giraffe® Shuttle transportable power source for its Giraffe and Panda families of incubators and warmers. By transforming these healing environments into transport devices, the Giraffe Shuttle eliminates the need for transferring premature and sick babies to and from transport incubators.
New children's medicine guide released by UNICEF and WHO
An estimated 9 million children die each year from preventable and treatable causes. A new publication that lists medicines formulated for children is being made available now online by UNICEF and the World Health Organization, to help doctors and organizations obtain some of the 240 essential medicines that can save the lives of children.
New Study Shows Global Variation in Dose Levels for Child CT Scans
An international study, conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has shown that some countries are over-exposing children to radiation when performing computed tomography (CT) scans. These children are receiving adult-sized radiation doses, although experts have warned against the practice for over a decade.
There is always urgency in pediatric radiology
Children will surprise you, and unfortunately they can sometimes hold big surprises for radiologists. At ECR 2010 four radiologists offered a series of pediatric cases in a session entitled, « Pediatric non-traumatic emergencies: What we must know!, » which covered children from head to toe, demonstrating that symptoms thought to be routine can mask more serious conditions
Olauson receives royal medal in Sweden
Anders Olauson, President of the European Patients’ Forum was awarded with H.M. The King's Medal at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. This prestigious award was presented to Anders for his distinguished commitment in the field of patients rights and his tremendous support for families with young patients in Sweden . The King’s Medal is the second highest award that can be received by a Swedish…
MRI helps detect life-threatening pregnancy complication
A study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) revealed that MRI is a highly accurate means of identifying placenta accreta, a potentially life-threatening and increasingly common condition that is the leading cause of death for women just before and after giving birth.
The flat seca 874
The new seca 874, a highly mobile electronic flat scaless is ideal for weighing infants, children and adults, the manufacturer reports. Healthcare consultants and development aid workers in particular will appreciate the reliable scaless's performance in on-site mass screenings. The double display of the measured weight was especially designed to satisfy their requirements.
