Purpose or Case Report:
The purpose of this study is to outline the benefit of speed stitching and recognize it as one of the best stitching tools available for the pediatric population. Looking at the history of stitching, we started by using the CR for scoliosis and long bones stitching. The time of exposure, the radiation dose, and image quality were not optimal. Moving to automatic DR stitching was a good step in the right direction. However, there was still a frustration from having to repeat so many exams because of the high possibility of motion captured between exporsures. That’s when speed stich came to play with fast acquisation and less operator interference while doing the exam.
Methods & Materials: Recognizing the challenges of doing scoliosis or long film stitching in the pediatric world led us to start this conversation. Motion and exposure factors were big topics.
CR’s low bone resolution has been posing a challenge with the risk of overexposure; DR’s auto stitching brought the fast image acquisition with better quality and high volume capacity, still posing some issues with manual stitching and the overlap of vertebras. Discussions were conducted on several scoliosis and example cases were identified. Most importantly, the accuracy of the images for optimum diagnosis was our priority at CHOA. Speed stitching was identified as a solution for many of the inefficiencies in other technologies. With Speed stitching, we were able to reduce a scoliosis exam from 15 minutes to about 4 minutes with lower radiation and better quality.
Results: A case- based education for speed stitch vs other ways of stitching was developed and comparison cases with other methods of stitching were demonstrating for comparison and contrast. Reviews by the radiologists determine the advantages of speed stich and full transition to that technology is in process for the whole system at CHOA.
Conclusions: Beside the higher initial cost, using speed stitch was faster. It demonstrated better image quality, less dose and better accuracy.
Technologists moving from CR/DR to speed stitch had no challenges or issues learning the new technology. Mostly everyone thought it was more efficient and easier to use.