New CT expands Daugavpils hospital services, but quota falls short

Daugavpils Regional Hospital has acquired one of Latvia’s most advanced CT scanners, allowing it to examine the heart’s coronary arteries, LSM reports. The hospital says the state-funded quota for scans remains insufficient as demand exceeds capacity.

Until now, patients could access this type of examination only at Vidzeme Hospital and the Children’s Clinical University Hospital. The new scanner is expected to support both emergency and planned care.

Its larger scanning area and faster image capture can reduce distortion caused by heart movement. The hospital’s Diagnostic Radiology Centre head, Igor Gailevich, said the equipment produces clearer images and uses a lower radiation dose. The hospital plans to introduce coronary artery CT examinations and expand lower-dose scans for oncology patients, some of whom undergo checks several times a year.

Radiologist Edgars Naudins said the scanner can complete an examination in one second. When a patient’s heart rhythm is stable and below 60 beats per minute, movement artefacts are reduced, which can help radiologists assess images and avoid errors.

Daugavpils Regional Hospital performs between 60 and 100 CT examinations a day, while demand for the scans continues to exceed its capacity.