Age and Ageing Advance Access originally published online on January 25, 2007
Age and Ageing 2007 36(2):234; doi:10.1093/ageing/afl171
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Video phone diagnosis of ‘funny turns’
SIR—We wish to highlight the usefulness of video phone technology in the diagnosis of ‘fits, faints and funny turns’ in the elderly. Recently, an elderly lady, known to have cerebrovascular disease, was admitted with a possible seizure. After a brief stay, she was discharged and reviewed in our outpatient clinic. Here, she was accompanied by her son who had recorded two further ‘funny turns’ on his video phone. These clips demonstrated seizures, and we were thus able to make a firm diagnosis and commence anti-convulsant therapy.On reviewing the literature, we were unable to find any other reports of mobile phone evidence being presented to geriatricians by patients, or relatives, which have aided diagnosis. The most similar report we found was that of a rheumatologist being given a video phone clip demonstrating an urticarial rash in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) [1]. Surprisingly, we found no reports of patients showing dermatologists images of rashes.
However, video phones have been used in some small studies to transmit clinical photographs or radiological investigations. Perhaps most applicable to geriatrics, so far, was a small study using video phones to transmit images of leg ulcers for assessment by remote clinicians [2]. Mobile phone technology has also been used to transmit ECG data and video footage of ambulance patients in transit to formulate an initial diagnosis and prioritise review on arrival [3].
Descriptions of ‘fits, faints and funny turns’ are vital in diagnosis. Video phone clips showing such incidents may be increasingly provided as evidence by relatives at follow-up as the technology has become more commonplace. However, mobile phones are increasingly used to send radiological, cardiological or clinical images between clinicians, allowing opinions, and thus care, to be timelier.
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester LE5 4PW, UK
* To whom correspondence should be addressed Email: drrajparikh{at}yahoo.co.uk
References
- Armstrong D. (2004) The mobile phone as an imaging tool in SLE. Rheumatology 43 1195.
[Free Full Text] - Braun R, Vecchietti J, Thomas L, et al. (2005) Telemedical wound care using a new generation of mobile telephones: a feasibility study. Arch Dermatol 141 254–58.
[Abstract/Free Full Text] - Banitsas K, Perakis K, Tachakra S, Koutsouris D. (2006) Use of 3G mobile phone links for teleconsultation between a moving ambulance and a hospital base station. J Telemed Telecare 12 23–26.
[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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