Initial experience with mobile computed tomogram in neurosurgery intensive care unit in a level 1 trauma center in India

Neurosurgical patients, in particular patients with severe head injury require frequent computed tomogram (CT) of the head, usually at short notice. A mobile CT may prove to be invaluable for these patients. This report reviews the initial experience with a mobile CT at tertiary trauma center. A total of 1292 head CT scans were done during 9 months study period with an average of 4.78 CT scans for day. Of the 563 patients in whom the detailed prospective data was available, 456 (81%) patients were on ventilator, 450 (80%) patients were on sedation, and 37 (6.5%) patients were on ionotropic support at the time of doing CT scan. The mean Glasgow Coma Scale score at the time of CT was 8.1 (range 3-15). The average time to do a CT scan (from time of request to transmission into picture archiving and communication system) was 12.6 min (range 7.8-47 min). Image quality was judged to be excellent by all the neurosurgical faculty in the intensive care unit. During the study period, the main CT scanner broke down four times (for variable time periods) and the mobile CT scanner could manage the load of severe head injured patients in the casualty without any problems. The mobile CT machine itself broke down 36 times and the mean response time was 12.5 h (range 1-144 h) during each breakdown point. This experience suggests that mobile CT is extremely useful in the management of patients with severe traumatic brain injury and can be recommended for any high-volume neurosurgery department in the country.