The Ashdod Emergency Medical Center’s Imaging Institute will provide invaluable diagnostic services for all of its patients. Located on level minus one, directly beneath the emergency room, it will serve the needs of both emergency room patients and patients referred for diagnosis by the various health clinics. The Imaging Institute will occupy an area of 470 sq meters (4950 sq ft). It will be constructed in accordance with international safety standards for radiological protection.

The Imaging Institute will be equipped with digital X-ray equipment, computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The 64 slice MRI is a state of the art machine that represents a technological advance and innovation for southern Israel. There is currently only one other MRI of this kind in all of Israel.

The high level and quality of the Imaging Institute will provide exact medical diagnoses, guide precise surgical operations and prevent unnecessary procedures.

Selected Machinery in the Imaging Institute:
AMC will be equipped with modern imaging capabilities, the most traditional and frequently used being the digital X-ray machine. From broken bones to life threatening illnesses, X-ray machines help diagnose and treat numerous medical conditions. In fact, seven out of ten people receive either a medical or dental x-ray every year.

X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. They behave in much the same way as light rays, but at much shorter wavelengths. When directed at a target, X-rays can often pass through the substance uninterrupted, especially when it is of low density. Higher density targets (like the human body) will reflect or absorb the X-rays. They do this because there is less space between the atoms for the short waves to pass through. After passing through our body, x-rays strike a special x-ray film, creating an image showing shadows where our bones, organs and other dense masses have absorbed x-rays.

X-rays are safe and effective for people of all ages, even young children. X-rays are particularly useful for examining the chest, bones, joints and abdomen. An AMC doctor may recommend an X-ray for many different reasons. For example, an X-ray exam may be used to:

• Determine whether a bone is chipped, dislocated or broken (fractured)
• Evaluate joint injuries and bone infections
• Diagnose and monitor the progression of degenerative conditions, such as arthritis and the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis
• Screen for heart and lung diseases
• Find and treat artery blockages
• Diagnose the cause of persistent coughing or chest pain
• Check for broken ribs or a punctured lung
• Evaluate abdominal pain
• Locate objects that may have been accidentally swallowed by a child
• Determine whether you have injured a bone or disk in your spine
• Detect scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, and other spinal defects
• Evaluate infection of the sinuses (sinusitis)
• Locate dental problems such as cavities, abscessed teeth, and other tooth and jaw abnormalities

X-ray exams also play an important role in the detection and diagnosis of cancer. In fact, one use of X-ray in diagnosing cancer is to see whether a patient is suffering from lung cancer or whether cancer from another part of the body has spread (metastasized) to the lungs. Cancer may appear lighter in color on an X-ray than does normal, healthy lung tissue. X-rays may also be used to examine cancers of the intestines, stomach, liver, spleen, kidneys and breasts.

Diagnosis of medical conditions is the prime condition for healing. Rapid diagnosis of illness within a plethora of symptoms reduces suffering and saves lives. The fully digital Diagnostic Imaging facility of AMC will provide high quality diagnostic test results. New digital technology now brings the human body into sharper focus providing doctors with enhanced tools with which to diagnose health conditions.

Nuclear medicine differs from most other imaging modalities in that nuclear tests primarily show the physiological function of the system being investigated as opposed to traditional anatomical imaging such as CT or MRI.

What Is a Nuclear Scan?
Nuclear medicine differs from standard radiology or x-rays in a number of fundamental ways. In standard radiology, a source of x-rays is placed outside the patient and as the x-rays penetrate the patient, an image is created. In nuclear medicine imaging, a very small source of radioactivity is given to the patient either by mouth or by vein and the gamma rays emitted are measured by a special device called a gamma camera and the data is stored in a computer. The data in the computer is used to generate an image or provide other functional information. The source of radioactivity is in the form of a radiopharmaceutical which travels to an intended organ of interest.

In addition, nuclear medicine is a treatment modality for diseases of the thyroid and cancer. This triple capability (imaging, function, and treatment) gives nuclear medicine a unique role in medicine. Nuclear medicine provides an extremely sensitive methodology of detecting abnormalities.

Benefits
The information provided by nuclear medicine examinations is unique and often unattainable using other imaging procedures.

For many diseases, nuclear medicine scans yield the most useful information needed to make a diagnosis or to determine appropriate treatment, if any. Nuclear medicine is much less traumatic than exploratory surgery.

Osteoporosis is a common problem in Israeli society affecting large numbers of men and women. It is a medical condition characterized by a reduction in bone mass resulting in weakening of the bone and increased risk of fracture particularly of the vertebra, hip and wrist. Of those suffering from osteoporosis over 80 per cent are women

Its consequences (low trauma fractures) can have a devastating impact on an individual's life. A Bone Density (Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry - DXA) scan, considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of osteoporosis, gives a direct measurement of the patient's bone density, allowing him to be aware of the current risk for developing osteoporosis. It is, by far, the most widely used technique for bone measurements as it is relatively cheap, accessible, easy to use, and able to provide accurate and precise quantification of bone mass in adults.

• Bone density testing is strongly recommended if the patient, for example:
• is a post-menopausal woman and not taking estrogen
• has a personal or maternal history of hip fracture or smoking
• is a post-menopausal woman who is tall (over 5 feet 7 inches) or thin (less than 125 pounds)
• is a man with clinical conditions associated with bone loss
• uses medications that are known to cause bone loss
• has type 1 (formerly called juvenile or insulin-dependent) diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease or a family history of osteoporosis
• has high bone turnover, which shows up in the form of excessive collagen in urine samples
• has experienced a fracture after only mild trauma
• has had X-ray evidence of vertebral fracture or other signs of osteoporosis

Environmental factors that appear to be associated with increased risk of osteoporosis include cigarette smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and probably alcoholism. Physical activity (exercise or work) increases bone density particularly in younger aged individuals and is considered part of treatment for or prevention of osteoporosis.

There is much that can be done to treat osteoporosis in terms of available medication, change of life style (exercise, nutrition, smoking, alcoholism).

AMC will fully integrate PACS Technology into the imaging operation thus eliminating film based images and utilizing computer based technology. All AMC physicians will be able to immediately review current and past images at conveniently placed medical workstations. They will also, because of PACS, gain web access to digitally stored images when not present in AMC.