USING THE INTERNET FOR RAPID EXCHANGE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND X-RAY IMAGESTO EVALUATE POTENTIAL EXTREMITY REPLANTATION CANDIDATES

Objective: To implement a low-cost system of transmitting high-quality digital photographs of mutilating extremity injuries using the speed of the Internet,Design: A high-resolution digital camera and simple ha rdware and software platform are used to take and transmit images via electronic mail, The images are received within minutes by the consult ant, and an assessment can be made, Results: A low-cost and high-quali ty system can easily be implemented, Images can be seen by consultants only a few minutes after they are obtained. The quality of the reprod uctions is excellent, and they are handled exactly as other photograph s, Conclusion: This technique can be widely applicable and inexpensive to initiate in any emergency room. It allows rapid assessment of extr emity injuries and x-ray images by expert consultants, who can then ev aluate the replantation or revascularization potential of extremity tr auma cases, This can eliminate unnecessary and often expensive transfe r of patients who are not candidates for replantation.