Interventionalists use PACS to archive JPEG images

PACS offers an electronic alternative to using a conventional manual or analog method of storing photographic images for interventional radiologists working with patients who have lower extremity venous insufficiency, according to a study in the April Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.

Photographic documentation is used to evaluate treatment progress, and insurance carriers may request photographic documentation. Images are typically transferred from the camera to a desktop computer as JPEG files. The files are either stored on the computer's hard drive, with intermittent manual backup to CD, or printed and filed in the patient's folder.

Aside from DICOM format, most PACS are capable of importing files in other formats, such as JPEG and TIFF. Dr. James E. Silberzweig and colleagues at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City found that JPEG format suits the purpose for image acquisition and transfer to PACS, even though TIFF gives the best quality image because it is losslessly compressed. Use of TIFF, however, comes at the expense of large image size.

Silberzweig said secondary capture of JPEG files is a feature that should be considered when purchasing or upgrading a PACS.