A group of radiologists at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) received a three-year, $300,000 grant from Bracco Diagnostics, a developer of diagnostic imaging solutions, to research and educate physicians on contrast ultrasound for use in pediatric patients.
The grant will be used to fund a program within the department of radiology’s Center for Pediatric Contrast Ultrasound (CPCU). Providers and technologists will learn to utilize and read the contrast ultrasound and analyze patient case studies.
"The advancement of pediatric imaging through contrast ultrasound at CHOP currently has no match both nationally and internationally," said CHOP’s radiologist-in-chief Kassa Darge, MD, PhD, in a prepared statement. "Tiny gas filled 'microbubbles' that are administered into the body via different routes have transformed ultrasound.”
The modality was first approved for use in pediatric patients in 2016. CHOP is one of the first hospitals in the nation to implement the imaging technology, which is typically used during interventional procedures in children.
Not only does contrast ultrasound provide greater diagnostic capability without the need for radiation or sedation, it is also more cost-effective than MRI.
“The positive impact of contrast ultrasound is very visible and it is a great contributor to patient and family satisfaction—non or less invasive, fast and with better diagnostic results," Darge concluded.
As a senior news writer for TriMed, Subrata covers cardiology, clinical innovation and healthcare business. She has a master’s degree in communication management and 12 years of experience in journalism and public relations.