Frimley, UK, 2015-Apr-22
Staff at Siemens Healthcare were asked to fill in the Love Your Liver health screener questionnaire after which those who were deemed at risk were invited to take part in a non-invasive ultrasound scan. Using an ACUSON S2000 ultrasound system with Siemens’ Virtual TouchTM imaging application, employees were screened for liver fibrosis and to evaluate the presence of any tissue damage. With Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) technology in place, stiff tissue, the key indicator for liver damage, can be differentiated from soft tissue and the automated post-processing software means results are available immediately.
“As employers become increasingly responsible for promoting good health, we encourage them to make staff aware that screening tests are available,” states Andrew Langford, CEO of the British Liver Trust. “The ultrasound technique used at the Siemens screening event was unobtrusive and swift. The post-processing software is of great benefit to patients and clinicians as it delivers rapid results and gives clinicians the opportunity to see the entire liver, whereas a traditional liver biopsy only shows a certain segment of the liver.”
Peter Harrison, Managing Director of Siemens plc Healthcare Division states, “We are committed to the wellbeing of our staff and are also aware there remains a lack of awareness on the topic of liver disease throughout society. We have therefore chosen to partner with the British Liver Trust to offer liver screening to our employees. Providing clinicians with a range of diagnostic tools is the most effective way to ensure the best diagnosis and ongoing management of liver disease. It’s not just about a blood test or a scan, it’s the resulting impact on the patient pathway. These tests are less invasive and safer than a traditional liver biopsy, and can deliver a much faster result.”
Siemens Healthcare is currently the only company to offer an integrated portfolio of diagnostic solutions for managing liver health. Along with ultrasound, its portfolio of non-invasive tests includes the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) blood test, a simple test for measuring liver damage which combines three serum biomarkers which have been shown to correlate to the level of liver fibrosis assessed by liver biopsy. It also includes dynamic MR imaging with FREEZEit applications, allowing imaging of the entire arterial phase of the liver with multiple 3D datasets within seconds while maintaining a high spatial image resolution.
The scanning was undertaken by a team from Frimley Park Hospital. Dr Sanju Mathew, Gastroenterologist states: “The impact of liver disease in the UK is rising, and we are seeing liver disease affecting people from all walks of life. Early screening allows us to put preventative measures in place if there is already damage to the liver, by advising people on lifestyle choices which can help to reverse the damage.”
Siemens Healthcare is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimising clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 52,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world www.siemens.co.uk/healthcare.
More information on the liver and how Siemens is working to tackle liver disease is available on the Siemens Healthcare liver topic page.
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About Siemens
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of €5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 357,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
