GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – As the 39th Annual Children’s Miracle Network Telethon continues, we want to showcase state-of-the-art equipment that helps doctors better care for their patients.
The OEC Miniview Max, also known as the Mini C-arm, is fast and efficient and fits in perfectly at the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital. It allows doctors to take live feedback X-rays directly inside the emergency room.
“We can change and adjust the amount of radiation and we actually have a lose-dose feature here so that when we are x-raying and doing a couple of X-rays on kids we can specify a lower dose of radiation,” Pediatrics Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Sterling Kramer said.
When a child comes into the emergency room and needs an X-ray, the Mini C-arm flat plate can be placed underneath the part of the body that needs to be examined.
To donate to the Children’s Miracle Network in Greenville — Click Here!
“Then with a simple push of a button, I can take an X-ray and see his bone right there,” Dr. Kramer said.
If a different angle is needed, instead of moving the patient, which might cause some pain, the flexible machine can manipulate and turn in a different direction.
“The mobility of it, the ability to adjust the radiation is all great for the patient,” Dr. Kramer said.
Before the Mini C-arm made its entrance in the emergency room, the entire process the fix a child’s broken body part was done with sedation.
“Sedation comes with a risk to the child and potentially long-term complication,” Dr. Kramer said.
Now Dr. Kramer says the new equipment allows for shorter sedation periods, as well as faster results allowing them to be the staple of care for people in Eastern North Carolina.
“It’s so much better for the kids not only in the immediate time period but potentially for the long-term outcomes,” Dr. Kramer said.
According to Dr. Kramer, another perk of the Mini-C arm is that parents are able to watch the X-ray happen in real-time while staying by their child’s side, bringing reassurance to many.
Tune in this weekend for this and more inspiring stories for our 39th Annual Children’s Miracle Network Telethon.