Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas is the first pediatric hospital in Texas and the second one in the nation to offer Low-Dose X-Ray Computed Tomography, or Low-Dose CT Scan. Its new GE Revolution™ CT can conduct a full head CT scan in half a second, where most other machines can take up to 15 seconds.
Having the new machine at Central Texas’ only Pediatric Level 1 Trauma Center enhances care because every second counts in trauma cases. Squirmy infants and children don’t have to be sedated because the scanner is so fast. Revolution™ CT also emits less radiation than traditional scans and provides an “underwater adventure” for kids to help ease anxiety.
Six-year-old Audrey Avery was one of the first patients to benefit from the technology. After falling and hitting her head at home, Audrey began to show signs of a head injury. Her father, Matt Avery, recalls his daughter was crying uncontrollably, slurring her speech and then suddenly became unresponsive.
He called for STAR Flight, which flew Audrey from her family’s home in Wimberley to Dell Children’s. “The trauma team looked at her in what seemed like a matter of minutes,” Matt Avery said. “The CT experience wasn’t stressful or scary for her because it was so fast and the room didn’t look like a hospital room.”
The new scanner provided high-resolution images that helped doctors rule out a brain bleed and diagnose a concussion. Her father said Audrey remembers the room and the underwater decorations. He says his daughter is now back to her normal self.
