@article {3583, title = {Teleradiology for remote consultation using iPad improves the use of health system human resources for paediatric fractures: prospective controlled study in a tertiary care hospital in Italy.}, journal = {BMC Health Serv Res}, volume = {14}, year = {2014}, month = {2014}, pages = {327}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The growing cost of health care and lack of specialised staff have set e-Health high on the European political agenda. In a prospective study we evaluated the effect of providing images for remote consultation through an iPad on the number of in-hospital orthopaedic consultations for children with bone fractures.

METHODS: Children from 0 to 18 years diagnosed with a bone fracture by the radiologist during the hours when an orthopaedic service is provided only on-call were eligible for enrollment. Cases were enrolled prospectively during September and October 2013. A standard approach (verbal information only, no X-Ray provided remotely) was compared to an experimental approach (standard approach plus the provision of X-ray for remote consultation through an iPad). The primary outcome was the number of orthopaedic in-hospital consultations that occurred. Other outcomes included: immediate activation of other services; time needed for decision-making; technical difficulties; quality of images and diagnostic confidence (on a likert scale of 1 to 10).

RESULTS: Forty-two children were enrolled in the study. Number of in-hospital consultancies dropped from 32/42 (76.1\%) when no X-ray was provided to 16/42 (38\%) when the X-rays was provided (p < 0.001). With remote X-ray consultation in 14/42 (33.3\%) cases services such as surgery and plaster room could be immediately activated, compared to no service activated without teleradiology (p < 0.001). Average time for decision making was 23.4 {\textpm} 21.8 minutes with remote X-ray consultation, compared to 56.2 {\textpm} 16.1 when the X-ray was not provided (p < 0.001). The comparison between images on the iPad and on the standard system for X- Ray visualisation resulted in a non statistically significant difference in the quality of images (average score 9.89 {\textpm} 0.37 vs 9.91 {\textpm} 0.30; p = 0.79), and in non statistically significant difference in diagnostic confidence (average score 9.91 {\textpm} 0.32 vs 9.92 {\textpm} 0.31; p = 0.88).

CONCLUSIONS: Remote X-ray consultation through Aycan OsiriX PRO and iPad should be considered as a means for reducing the need of in-hospital orthopaedic consultation during on-call times, and potentially decrease the cost of care for the health system. In the future, alternative systems less expensive than Aycan OsiriX PRO should be further developed and tested.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Computers, Handheld, Decision Making, Fractures, Bone, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Italy, Prospective Studies, Remote Consultation, Teleradiology, Time Factors}, issn = {1472-6963}, doi = {10.1186/1472-6963-14-327}, author = {Zennaro, Floriana and Grosso, Daniele and Fascetta, Riccardo and Marini, Marta and Odoni, Luca and Di Carlo, Valentina and Dibello, Daniela and Vittoria, Francesca and Lazzerini, Marzia} } @article {1994, title = {Is treatment with hydroxychloroquine effective in surfactant protein C deficiency?}, journal = {Arch Bronconeumol}, volume = {49}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 May}, pages = {213-5}, abstract = {

We present the case of two twin brothers with surfactant protein C deficiency who were treated with hydroxychloroquine for three years, with apparent success. The exact physiopathology of this disease is not known and there is no specific treatment for it. There is merely news from a few previous descriptions in the literature about the use of hydroxychloroquine for surfactant protein C deficiency with satisfactory results. Two years after the treatment was withdrawn, the twins were evaluated once again: they presented no new infections, growth and general state were normal and chest CT showed a notable additional reduction in the interstitial pneumopathy. These data seem to cast some doubt on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine, and they suggest that the clinical improvement was simply the natural evolution of the disease.

}, keywords = {Disease Progression, Diseases in Twins, Dyspnea, Failure to Thrive, Humans, Hydroxychloroquine, Infant, Newborn, Male, Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis, Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein C, Respiratory Insufficiency, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Twins, Monozygotic}, issn = {1579-2129}, doi = {10.1016/j.arbres.2012.08.005}, author = {Rabach, Ingrid and Poli, Furio and Zennaro, Floriana and Germani, Claudio and Ventura, Alessandro and Barbi, Egidio} }