THE EFFECT OF 10 1 COMPRESSION AND SOFT COPY INTERPRETATION ON THE CHEST RADIOGRAPHS OF PREMATURE NEONATES WITH REFERENCE TO THEIR POSSIBLEAPPLICATION IN TELERADIOLOGY/

The aim of the study was to assess the potential application of telera diology in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by ascertaining whe ther any decrease in conspicuity of anatomic detail or interventional devices in the chest radiographs of premature infants is caused by pic ture archiving and communication system (PACS)-based soft copy interpr etation of 10 : 1 compressed images. One hundred digital chest radiogr aphs of low-birthweight infants were obtained in the NICU using a stor age phosphor system. Laser-printed images were interpreted and the dat a set for each radiograph was then irreversibly compressed by a 10 : 1 ratio, Four radiologists with extensive PACs experience used a five-p oint grading system to score laser-printed hard copy images for the vi sibility of six parameters of anatomic landmarks and interventional de vices in the chest. Compressed soft copy images displayed on 2K PACS w orkstation were subsequently scored using the same approach. Statistic al manipulation demonstrated no loss of anatomic detail in five of the six parameters scored, with minimal difference in one landmark, the r etrocardiac lung assessment. While further study is require to assess the clinical impact of the variance noted when evaluating lung paramet ers, the preservation or improvement of information in the remaining p arameters following irreversible compression and soft copy interpretat ion is promising for the potential use of teleradiology in this popula tion.