Radiology Department

We've renovated and expanded our Radiology (X-Ray) Department to keep up with the rapid growth of the healthcare industry. But the one thing that will never change is our commitment to provide the highest quality of care to people of Paris and the surrounding service Area.

The high tech equipment in our Radiology Department provides physicians and staff of Paris Community Hospital with detailed images which give greater accuracy in detecting disease or injury.

Comfort and convenience for our patients was uppermost in our minds during the planning of the renovation project of the Radiology Department. The department now features a pleasant, attractive and most importantly, private setting for our patients.

Computerized Tomographic (CT) Scanning

Computerized tomographic scanning is often referred to as 'CAT scanning'. It's technology links computers with X-Rays to provide powerful diagnostic capabilities.

CT scanners have the ability to produce images that enable radiologists to look inside the body with a totally different perspective, thus making some diagnosis of certain body disorders much more positive.

The best way to explain an image produced by CT scanning would be to consider a loaf of bread and remove a slice out of the middle and look at it on end. Images produced by CT scanners are viewed much in the same way. The computer stores all the inforamtion gained from those slices and allows the radiologists to re-slice the bread any way he wants to for more detailed analysis.

The new in-house, fourth generation, whole body scanner, is a major convenience to both inpatients and out-patients as well as the medical staff. 24-hour availability of this advanced diagnostic tool is of particular importance in many emergency situations.

Head and whole body scanning is invaluable to swiftly evaluate cerebral, neurological and vascular disorders. CT scanning also is used to examine body regions such as the lungs, kidneys, spine, pancreas, liver, spleen, pelvis, bladder and lymphatic systems.

The CT scan is a quick and painless method to provide more information without the risk or discomfort involved in other methods of diagnosis. The Paris Community Hospital CT service also includes teleradiography equipment which transmits the CT images over telephone lines for professional interpretation by the radiologist. Through teleradiography, the radiologist is available 24-hours per day to interpret emergency CT scan studies.

Mammography
A special breast X-Ray

A mammogram is a specialized X-Ray procedure which takes about a half hour to complete. Through mammography, a cancerous growth may be detected in the earliest, most treatable stages before the cancer has spread -- long before the symptoms appear. Breast cancers detected early are 90 per-cent curable, according to a study by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute.

The American Cencer society guidelines for mammograms and physical examinations are as follows:

20 years and older: Breast self-examination monthly.

20-40 years of age: A physician breast examination every three years and an initial mammogram between the ages of 35-40, or as ordered by your physician, for reference and future comparison. Breast self-examination monthly.

40-50 years of age: Periodic mammography every year or two as determined by your own personal history and your doctor's recommendation. Also, an annual physician breast examination is recommended. Breast self-examination monthly.

Over 50 years of age: Annual mammography and an annual physical examination, or when recommended by your physician. Breast self-examination monthly.

About the Mammography Procedure

It is necessary to undress to the waist for the examination. Both breasts will be X-Rayed, since it is necessary to compare the pictures to each other. During the X-Ray, your breasts will be compressed somewhat because reducing the overall thickness of the breast provides a better picture and also requires less exposure to radiation. This compression may be uncomfortable, but it only lasts for a few seconds.

You may have heard or read that exposing the breasts to radiation may actually increase the risk of developing breast cancer. This is an area of controversy that arose out of research involving much larger doses of radiation than those now used in mammography. In fact, today's mammography exposes the breast to only a slight amount of radiation. To put this in perspective, the American Cancer Society reports that having a mammogram increases the risk of developing breast cancer to the same extent that smoking three-quarters of one cigarette increases the risk of lung cancer, or that sunbathing at high altitudes for three or four house increases the chances of developing skin cancer. Cancerous cells are found much earlier through X-Ray, before a lump can be detected by touch. The BEST weapon against breast cancer is early detection.

Ultrasound

This diagnostic procedure uses very high frequency sound waves rather than radiation to produce images of deep structures of the body. There are numerous medical applications of ultrasound. For example, ultrasound or sonography is used for the expecting mother to date the pregnancy, determine the position of the baby, rule out placenta praevia or possible abnormalities of the fetus. Ultrasound is not always required during pregnancy, but is performed when doctors feel it is necessary. Ultrasound is also used to image internal organs such as the gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys and pelvic organs.

Even though ultrasound does not use radiation, it will not replace X-Rays. Ultrasound "sees" things X-Ray can't and vice versa.

Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine uses radioactive materials to help diagnose and treat a variety of diseases and disorders. The radioactive material that is introduced into the body attaches itself to certain cells as it flows through the body and migrates to specific body organs depending on which isotope is used. The nuclear medicine equipment creates pictures of the part of the body being studied. These tests, for example, can detect heart damage, blood clots in the lungs, disorders of the thyroid, and tumors.

Many times the information gathered from nuclear medicine is combined with results from X-Rays and other tests to give a more complete analysis of a patient's condition.

Only small quantities of radioactive substances are used for diagnosis in nuclear medicine. The radioactive substances lose most of their radioactivity in hours or just a few days. Also, these substances are usually quickly eliminated from the body. Paris Community Hospital nuclear medicine equipment and materials meet strict safety standards. All hospital personnel working with nuclear medicine are experienced, highly trained, and safety conscious.

Radiologists

Images are developed through the use of various technologies such as X-Ray, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, mammography and CT scan, to aid in diagnosing an illness or injury. The examinations are completed by radiologic technologists and are then interpreted for the attending physician by a radiologist. A radiologist is a physician with specialized training necessary to interpret radiographs.

At Paris Community Hospital, the staff radiologists are from Lakeland Radiologists, LTD, a Mattoon-Charleston firm. They are Dr. Lynn Dale, Dr. James Barron, Dr. Reginald Bruce and Dr. Sadasive Jampala. All are board certified by the American Board of Radiology. Dr. Dale is also board certified by the American Board of Nuclear Medicine. Dr. Jampala has special training and compentence in interventional radiology. Dr. Barron is a certified neuroradiologist. Dr. Bruce was a family practitioner prior to his training in diagnostic radiology.

In accordance with federal legislation, the specialists or radiologists are required to bill patients for the professional interpretation of X-Ray films separately from Paris Community Hospital which charges for the use of equipment, technologists' time, and supplies.