Red Cross Hospital Gets a New CT Scanner | Western Cape Government

News

Red Cross Hospital Gets a New CT Scanner

14 April 2010
The new Computerised Tomography (CT) Unit was opened by Health MEC Theuns Botha and Dr Dimitri Erasmus in the Radiology Department on Thursday 15 April 2010. "The Department of Radiology at The Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital is thrilled to be able to provide state-of-the-art imaging to its patients," says Dr Tracy Kilborn, Senior Specialist and Acting Head of the Department.

The cost of the machine was R8.4 million and was funded by the National Government from the Modernisation of Tertiary Services Grant. The new scanner can take high-resolution images of exceptional quality at unprecedented speed - the entire body from head to toe can be scanned in less than ten (10) seconds. This reduces the need for sedation. The scans also subject the children to less radiation.

The CT scanner operates by using X-rays to get data, which a computer translates into an image. The new multi-slice scanner is particularly useful in cardiac and vascular imaging where its ability to reconstruct images in multiple planes, and three-dimensionally, reduces the need for diagnostic angiographic studies that are invasive and require general anaesthesia. The high quality image is also being used to provide pre-operative three-dimensional images of the spine, face and limbs for Ear, Nose and Troat (ENT), maxillofacial and orthopaedic surgery.

CT scanning technology has been in clinical use for over twenty (20) years. Red Cross acquired its first CT scanner in 1987. A single slice spiral CT scanner replaced this unit in 1998. Technology has advanced rapidly in the last twelve (12) years requiring an update of equipment. This resulted in the installation of the new sixty four (64) slice CT scanner at the hospital in November 2009.

Media Enquiries: 


Lauren O'Connor
Principal Communications Officer
Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital
Tel: 021 658 5448
Fax: 021 658 5333
Email: rxhpro@pgwc.gov.za