designed to enhance visualization and improve polyp detection rates.
High-resolution and high-definition endoscopes and monitors might
be tops on that list.
"We have had several patients with flat polyps or discrete tissue
changes that would not have been detected without the use of high-
definition equipment," says Robert C. LaCava, RN, the clinical adminis-
trator of the Advanced Surgery Center in Rockville, Md., adding that
HD has enhanced the polyp detection rate by providing a clearer image
and letting the physician discover abnormalities in what otherwise
may appear to be normal tissue.
"Improved magnification and light-filtering systems included in the
HD packaging aid in the detection by allowing the scope to be closer
to the mucosa, eliminating the glare that plagued standard-definition
models," says Mr. LaCava.
Today's newer scopes are also more ergonomically friendly for the
physician — they weigh less and the working channels are larger,
while the outside diameters are the same dimension or even smaller,
adds Mr. LaCava. "The ergonomic changes also make the scopes more
flexible," he says, "allowing for easier and safer cecal retroflection,
terminal ileum intubation and detecting polyps from behind folds."
The Lakeland (Fla.) Surgical & Diagnostic Center recently replaced
its entire fleet of 37 scopes with high-def colonoscopes and endo-
scopes. A testament to the amazingly sharp images is the many pic-
tures that physicians now take and show to patients at the bedside.
"They explain to patients what they found during the exam and give
them a copy of the picture to take home," says Lakeland CEO Emily
Duncan, RN, BS, CASC, CNOR.
"The most significant advancements in scope technology are the
pixel quality and ultra-high-definition image quality," says Rob Taylor,
RN, BS, the director of nursing at Coastal Digestive Care Center in
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