ABSTRACT
Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a relatively new imaging technique that has been developed during the past decade. The electrical properties of tissues are imaged by injecting small currents and measuring the resultant voltages. These voltages are then converted into a tomographic image using a reconstructing algorithm. The method has no known hazards and is relatively inexpensive. There are many possible clinical applications of this technique but apart from gastric emptying, most are still at the research stage as there are various technical and practical problems to be overcome. This paper describes the basic principles of EIT and reviews the English literature to try to assess its potential in clinical imaging.
Subject(s)
Electric Impedance , Tomography/methods , Algorithms , Animals , Electrophysiology , Humans , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted , Medical Laboratory ScienceABSTRACT
The incidence of Radial Head Subluxation in young children in the Aberdeen City Area was ascertained by retrospective review to be 1.2% per year. One hundred and sixty-two cases were recorded, in children aged between 5 and 66 months. The epidemiological features of the condition are reviewed. Extrapolation of these figures to the population of England, Scotland and Wales would suggest an annual incidence of 50,000 cases. This is a condition treatable in general practice, provided of course that the patient is not taken direct to an Accident and Emergency Department.
