Portable CT imaging of acute stroke patients in the emergency department.

A study was performed to determine whether the use of a portable CT scanner dedicated for ED patients would reduce the time elapsed from the physician's request for CT imaging until the start time of the study. The portable scanner allowsfor more rapid assessment of stroke patients and does not require additional facilities or personnel. In addition, when not in use in the ED, the scanner couldbe transported elsewhere in the hospital, for example the ICU, and be available for alternative clinical applications. For most hospitals, it is not neccessary to invest in an additional CT scanner dedicated for stroke imaging in the ED unless demand for the scanner exceeds 60 patients per day or, alternatively, the prevalence of stroke in the community served by the hospital is approximately 4-5 times the national average.