News
Lourdes Burlington’s New Service Offers Improved Diagnostics for Osteoporosis
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
WILLINGBORO, NJ--Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County has launched a new service to help area residents, especially older women, reduce their risk of developing osteoporosis and becoming susceptible to the hip, spine and wrist fractures associated with the disease.
The hospital recently installed the most advanced technology available for measuring bone density, GE Healthcare's Lunar Prodigy Advance. Using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry--or DEXA--scans, the new equipment can quickly and effectively help physicians assess a patient's risk for fractures and determine appropriate treatment, such as changes in diet, medication and/or exercise.
"This new service is part of the comprehensive imaging suite at our hospital's Women's Center, which includes advanced digital mammography and stereotactic breast biopsy," said Eugene Johnson, chief executive officer of Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County.
Approximately 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, while another 34 million are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for the disease, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Eighty percent of those affected by osteoporosis are women.
The federal government recommends routine bone-density screenings for most women age 65 and older and for women and men who are at increased risk beginning at age 60. DEXA scans measure how many grams of calcium and other minerals are contained in a segment of bone. The higher the mineral content, the denser and stronger the bones are. The test identifies bone loss at major fracture sites such as the spine, femur and hip. Computer-aided detection flags characteristics of scans that require closer attention.
Lourdes' DEXA scanner also performs total body composition scans. The fat-, lean-, and bone-tissue measurements from this scan are helpful to physicians in managing a variety of conditions, including anorexia.
Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County, a 249-bed community hospital in Willingboro, NJ, is part of Lourdes Health System, which includes Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden. Lourdes Health System is sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, NY, and is a member of Catholic Health East, a health system with 34 hospitals in 11 eastern states. Specialty services at Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County include the Lourdes Cancer Center; bariatric surgery; urology; orthopedics; maternity; wound care and hyperbaric medicine; sleep diagnostics; behavioral health; and Lourdes Specialty Hospital of Southern New Jersey for long-term acute-care patients. More information is available at www.lourdesnet.org and at www.che.org.
