RESUMEN
This paper discusses a workflow management system for nuclear medicine. It augments the more conventional PACS with automatic transfer of studies along the chain of activities making up an examination in nuclear medicine. A prototype system has been designed, built, and installed in a department of nuclear medicine, active in a network of hospitals.
Asunto(s)
Sistemas de Administración de Bases de Datos/normas , Servicio de Medicina Nuclear en Hospital/organización & administración , Sistemas de Información Radiológica/normas , Bélgica , Presentación de Datos , Sistemas de Administración de Bases de Datos/economía , Sistemas de Administración de Bases de Datos/instrumentación , Humanos , Internet , Redes de Área Local , Multimedia , Servicio de Medicina Nuclear en Hospital/economía , Servicio de Medicina Nuclear en Hospital/tendencias , Sistemas de Información Radiológica/economía , Sistemas de Información Radiológica/instrumentación , Validación de Programas de Computación , Carga de TrabajoRESUMEN
When input impedance is determined by means of the forced oscillation technique, part of the oscillatory flow measured at the mouth is lost in the motion of the upper airway wall acting as a shunt. This is avoided by applying the oscillations around the subject's head (head generator) rather than at the mouth (conventional technique). In seven wheezing infants, we compared both techniques to estimate the importance of the upper airway wall shunt impedance (Zuaw) for the interpretation of the conventional technique results. Computation of Zuaw required, in addition, estimation of nasal impedance values, which were drawn from previous measurements (K. N. Desager, M. Willemen, H. P. Van Bever, W. De Backer, and P. A. Vermeire. Pediatr. Pulmonol. 11: 1-7, 1991). Upper airway resistance and reactance at 12 Hz ranged from 40 to 120 and from 0 to -150 hPa. l(-1). s, respectively. Varying nasal impedance within the range observed in infants did not result in major changes in the estimates of Zuaw or lung impedance (ZL), the impedance of the respiratory system in parallel with Zuaw. The conventional technique underestimated ZL, depending on the value of Zuaw. The head generator technique slightly overestimated ZL, probably because the pressure gradient across the upper airway was not completely suppressed. Because of the need to enclose the head in a box (which is not required with the conventional technique), the head generator technique is difficult to perform in infants.