Evaluation of low- and high-cost systems for teleradiology in neurological emergencies

We evaluated our experience in teleradiology for neurological urgencies. In a first period we used a metropolitan area network based on optical fibers connecting the three Tuscan Universities of Pisa Siena and Florence and a wide area of the city of Florence. We connect by this system our University and one general hospital of the city to use the network to transmit with high speed computed tomography images. In a second period we found non-significant differences regarding image quality using a PC-based system directly connected to CT, also if the ISDN line worked with lower speed. We hope that this system network, more easy to use and available in a large part of our hospitals, will be employed in the transmission of this type of image; in this way in most cases we will be able to move the images only and not the patients.