Have you all Noticed

There has been a sudden increase of Weight related and Obesity shows lately.  What is up with that?

One of the EMS teams in my town had on the news a few days ago a new Ambulance. Has wider stretcher and a ramp and winch system to pull the patient in. Sad that things have come to this.

 You wouldn't believe the number of patients that won't fit into our MRI scanner.  They are making them bigger now to accommodate a bigger patient population.   Claustrophobia is a totally different issue. 

Just make them all open MRI machines..

how do they get them on the table

 The down side to the open side MRI machines is that you lose image quality and the ceiling is still low, it's no higher than the others.

Welp looks like new CT's for everyone.  How wide in the tunnel now?

 I'm not sure about the bore size on them.  It's usually more the table weight limit that  stops certain patients in CT.  On our MRI the table limit is 450lbs but it's the bore diameter and the patients body habitus that causes problems.  

Well lube them up so they slide in with ease and no pain... take it slow

 Here we also have "stand up" MRI machines ..   but, as Duane pointed out, image quality on those is not as good as well ..   

 The only solution for claustrophobic MRI patients, btw, seems to be a tranqualizer beforehand ..   Our office manager has claustrophobia and can't even tolerate an open MRI w/o one .. 

We keep an MRI compatable anesthesia maching in our scanner room just for the claustrophobic patients.  I'd say we do on average of about three cases with it each week.
Duane

Ever notice when you buy a new car you suddenly see tons of them on the road.
I think its alot like that. Its at the front of our minds because we are living it everyday we are just more aware.