Bedside hi-tech helps head injury patients

BEDSIDE technology in a Scottish hospital is driving an international research project to improve the treatment of patients with head injuries.

The study brings 12 European countries together in an attempt to find new drugs to match the complex problems of brain damage.

Ian Piper, a clinical physicist at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow is leading the project, which will use hand-held personal digital assistant technology developed by KelvinConnect, a new information technology firm spun off from the department of computing science at Glasgow University. The system allows a mobile workforce to quickly and easily capture information and transmit it directly to remote databases through wired or wireless communications links.

Along with this is a range of digital equipment enabling staff to keep closer tabs and reduce the risk of "missed events" - changes in a patient's condition that may have implications for their long-term recovery.

The three-year project, BrainIT has attracted £1.4m in funding from the EU.

Dr Piper said: "The Southern General enjoys a worldwide reputation in the field of brain injury research and this new development will see Glasgow leading the way in the application of information technology to this area."

ALAN MacDERMID The Herald 18th June 2003