Designed & created by
Gavin Wright
Terms & Conditions 59 Balliol Close, Peterlee, Co.Durham, England. SR8 2NX e-mail
Do you ever feel like you are stagnating in regards to moving and handling? Sometimes, in the UK at least, we could be forgiven for thinking, we are the best in the world at moving and handling patients. We have had hoists now, not just for years, but decades. Pat slides, transfer boards, pneumatic devices, the list could on and on.
Every now and then though, a new toy appears that changes the goal posts slightly. Do you remember when slide sheets came into common use for example?
Well the radiographers at the X-ray dept in Hythe, have got themselves a new toy that has dramatically cut the amount of moving and handling they need to do. It is a product by Siemens named the Ysio wi-D. The wi-D bit stands for wireless detector. Don’t ask me how to pronounce the first bit. The plate, which is usually firmly fixed into the table, can be placed directly behind a patient in a wheelchair for example eliminating the need for a transfer to the table. A lateral X-ray of the pelvis was previously a very difficult task to undertake, especially in trauma patients. Now though, this is an extremely easy procedure.
Instead of the radiographer having to man handle machine and patient into position, the Ysio is can move itself and, relationally speaking, the plate behind the patient from a computer controlled interface.
Those of us not familiar with x-ray machines might be thinking, “I’ve seen radiographers with a cassette doing exactly what you are describing.” Analogue, yes, but this is digital giving much more accurate and clear imaging.
Not only does the system obviously speed up the process of dealing with each individual client, but the reduction in strain for the radiographer is clear, as is the huge reduction in anxiety and discomfort for the patient.
Try doing this with an analogue cassette and you would receive a very distorted image. A digital system can give a perfect image even from strange angle.
