While you may have already read about the Fluoroscopy C-Arm used in the surgical suite, did you know Sault Area Hospital also has a whole Fluoroscopy Room?
Part of the Medical Imaging Department, the Fluoroscopy Room helps care teams diagnose issues and plan treatments. There, a moving x-ray image is often paired with a contrast dye to run specific tests. Care teams can see a live x-ray image, and watch dye move through systems of the body to identify issues.
One of these tests is called a “modified barium swallow”. Often used by Speech Language Pathologists, this test checks a patient’s ability to swallow different fluids and solid materials (mixed with barium, as a dye). It often helps support stroke patients, ICU patients, and those with a neurological diagnosis (like MS, ALS, or Parkinson’s).
These tests are critical for quality of life. They help care teams find safe diets. They support decisions about intubation (breathing tubes). They inform personalized exercise programs that strengthen muscles in the throat. These can all make a huge difference for a patient’s ability to breathe, swallow and speak!
The Fluoroscopy Room at Sault Area Hospital is the only one in the Algoma District, and has been in use since the hospital opened in 2011. That means the tools are now 12+ years old, and need to be replaced.
Your continued support can ensure that these patients have access to these critical tests, close to home, at Sault Area Hospital.
Help to replace critical equipment at Sault Area Hospital
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