Advanced Imaging Technological Applications on the Battlefield

Synopsis of recent workshop held in London, England

The modern day battlefield has seen exponential modernization in medical technology, with diagnostic imaging among the fastest developing. This rapid technological epidemic has driven educational requirements to keep up with the changing applications. Medical imaging has transformed in recent battlefield healthcare to include Multi Detector Computerized
Tomography (MD CT). Although CT has been commonplace in trauma management throughout the world since the 1980’s, recent increases in detectors (16 and 64 slice for example), has led to exquisite anatomic and pathologic detail, providing trauma surgeons with guidance unparalleled with prior systems. The unfortunate tradeoff with increasing resolution,
however, is increasing file sizes and difficulty managing the data that has been addressed in prior MMT articles (Teleradiology Roundtable. Vol 7, Issue 4. 2007). These advances and challenges have been addressed from a battlefield perspective in a recent focus session/ workshop by Defence IQ, a division of IQPC (International Quality and Productivity Center). The name of the focus event was “Advanced Imaging In Combat” Focus Day and was held recently on June 25, 2008 in London, England. This preceded the Battlefield Healthcare conference that was held on June 26 and 27.