Children's Hospital Equipment Needs
2007 TELETHON
Each year, the funds raised through the CMN telethon are used to purchase new and replacement medical equipment to help Children’s Hospital remain on the cutting edge of pediatric health care. Some years, the goal is to purchase a wide variety of equipment for departments throughout the hospital. In other years, the telethon proceeds may be earmarked for one or two costly items, such as the hospital’s first Lifeline neonatal transport van in 1984 or the hospital’s first MRI scanner in 2000, which carried a price tag of $2.4 million.
Anesthesia monitors for Anesthesia ($25,000)
These monitor a patient’s vital signs during surgery – heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, breathing and temperature. These are replacements for older monitors currently in use at Children’s Hospital.
Cusa (Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator) for Surgery ($95,000)
The Cusa's primary function is to remove tumor or neoplastic tissue from the brain without excess damage to surrounding tissue. The ultrasonic waves break up the tumor, and this tissue is then aspirated (sucked up). Then, the area where the tumor was located in the brain can be irrigated and cleaned. The CUSA collects the tumor/ tissue from the aspirator so the specimen can be sent to pathology for proper diagnosis (benign, malignant, etc.).
EGD scopes for Surgery ($48,000)
A gastroscope (EGD scope) is a thin, lighted tube that is inserted through the mouth and used in a gastroscopic exam to examine the esophagus or the inside of a patient’s stomach. If any abnormalities are found within the stomach, the doctor in the operating room can remove the tissue with the gastroscope. The child-sized gastroscope, used in the endoscopic suite at Children’s Hospital, detects ulcers and seeks out causes of reflux in a child’s stomach. This additional gastroscope will allow the pediatric gastroenterologists to perform more procedures while other equipment is being sterilized.
Colonoscope for Surgery ($28,000)
For children with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, a colonoscopy is required to examine the colon and intestines for polyps, ulcers or tumors. A long, flexible endoscope is used to examine the inside of the colon, and the scope relays the information to monitors, allowing the operating room staff to look for potential reasons for extreme abdominal pain or bleeding. The colonoscope used for pediatric patients is smaller to fit the smaller-sized intestines of children. A new colonoscope is needed to create more efficiency in the operating room, so it can be used while the other colonoscope is being sterilized.
Sinus shaver drill for Surgery ($24,000)
A sinus shaver drill is used for fine tissue work during sinus surgery or work in the sinus cavity. Newer shavers enable surgeons to reset both soft tissue and bone. The built-in suction removes blood, secretions and debris and maintains a clear surgical field. The shaver offers the potential advantages of less trauma, decreased bleeding, shorter surgical time, greater comfort, improved recovery and more rapid healing for the child.
Laparoscopy instrumentation for Surgery ($147,120)
Laparoscopy is a surgical technique in which a lighted viewing instrument (laparoscope) is inserted into the lower abdomen through a small incision, usually made below the navel. The abdomen is inflated with gas injected through a needle, which pushes the wall of the abdomen away from the organs so the doctor can see them more clearly. Laparoscopy may be used for both diagnosis and treatment. With laparoscopy, the doctor can identify diseased organs, take tissue samples for biopsy, and remove abnormal growths. Laparoscopy may allow a patient to avoid more invasive open surgery that uses larger incisions. Compared to open surgery, it leaves smaller scars, is often less risky, and usually requires a shorter recovery period. These instruments are used for patients of all ages from premature infants to teens. This is both new and additional equipment for the Children’s Hospital Surgery Department.
Laryngoscopy instrumentation for Surgery ($25,000)
When surgeons operate on a pediatric patient with polyps in their larynx or an airway obstruction, they need specialized equipment that will suit the size of the child without causing any damage to the throat. A laryngoscope is a fiber-optic scope that allows the doctor to see into the throat, the voice box (larynx) and vocal cords. With a wide range of children needing a laryngoscopy, surgeons may use these specialized surgical instruments to perform procedures such as biopsies of suspicious masses or the removal of polyps or cysts with a laser. The surgery department is adding additional sizes of instruments to suit all ages of children seen at Children’s Hospital from infants to teenagers.
Feeding pumps for Home Health Care ($112,500)
Most feeding pumps are machines about the size of a square tissue box. In Home Health Care, they are used as mechanisms to feed babies/children through a tube inserted through their stomach or nose that have a condition where they do not take in enough nutrition orally that allows them to grow normally/properly. We currently have over 250 patients throughout our service area that use this piece of equipment which makes it possible for parents to take children out of the home setting and be more “normal.”
CT scanner for Radiology ($1,100,000)
A computed tomography (CT) scan uses X-rays to produce detailed pictures of structures inside the body. A CT scanner directs a series of X-ray pulses through the body. Each X-ray pulse lasts only a fraction of a second and represents a “slice” of the organ or area being studied. The slices or pictures are recorded on a computer and can be saved for further study or printed out as photographs. A replacement 64-slice CT Scanner will allow increased speed for scanning which results in decreased time for patients during an exam. Currently, Children’s Hospital’s CT scanner is a single slice machine, meaning it can take only one image at one angle at a time.
Echo digital lab for Radiology ($256,007)
An echocardiogram (or echo) is a type of ultrasound test that uses high-pitched sound waves to produce an image of the heart. The sound waves are sent through a device called a transducer and are reflected off the various structures of the heart. These echoes are converted into pictures of the heart that can be seen on a video monitor.Conventional echo equipment uses video tape to record images. This upgrade will allow these images to be stored digitally in a computer and eliminate the need for video, speeding up the process of analyzing the results and diagnosing the patient. This state-of-the-art digital equipment will allow images to be loaded immediately into a computer system giving the cardiologists immediate access to the images and the ability to create and finalize reports to referring physicians within minutes, a process that now takes about 24-48 hours.
Syringe pump for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit ($14,000)
A syringe pump is used to administer antibiotics, pain medication and other drugs intravenously over a period of time. The units can be set for specific intervals and for a specific rate of delivery for greater accuracy; they provide precise medication dosing to ensure patient safety. Syringe pumps are imperative pieces of equipment in the PICU as most of the patients are on several medications and antibiotics at once. These pumps ensure proper and more efficient dosing of these drugs.
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