Pediatric Trauma Imaging

Question: My teenage son was in a car accident last weekend. I am grateful to the team of doctors and nurses that got him through the injuries, and he is home now. I was curious because they said there was no radiologist at the facility near our home, yet the x-rays were read very quickly. They even caught a problem that was about to happen on the x-ray, and treated it before it got bad. How did they do that?

Answer: Thank you for contacting our Pediatric Imaging Ask an Expert forum. The answer is—teleradiology! Most x-rays and other imaging results will be looked at by the radiologist on a computer screen rather than on x-ray film, as it was done just a few years ago. That gives the radiologist the ability to interpret these high-quality digital images on specially designed computer software from any distance. Our specialized UT radiologists provide this service to several facilities outside the Texas Medical Center. To learn about Houston area facilities which are served by the UT Radiologists, please call 713-704-6500 for Children’s Memorial Hermann, or 713-526-4243 for LBJ Hospital scheduling.