Six ambulances in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area have been equipped with Samsung tablet ultrasounds to see what benefits this modality can bring when responding to medical emergencies. Since the start of July, the ultrasounds have been used 91 times in helping to assess patients in cases of trauma, internal bleeding, acute abdominal pain, and cardiac arrest. Paramedics are not expected to be able to assess everything they are seeing in the ultrasound, but physicians on call at JPS Health Network can review scans sent to them over the Trice Imaging network to help make a diagnosis and recommend the next course of action.
Here are some of the main findings from the first phase of the trial followed by a video Samsung put together with some of the doctors and paramedics involved:
- In several instances, the transmission of ultrasound images has enabled medics and/or doctors at the hospital to positively identify internal bleeding/fluids, resulting in faster treatment upon the patients’ arrival at the emergency room. Early diagnosis has also enabled the hospital to ensure relevant specialists are on hand upon the patient’s arrival.
- Medics at DFW Airport’s Fire Department have utilized ultrasound on cardiac patients presenting no pulse. While the existing protocol has been to contact their medical director to determine whether to cease resuscitation efforts, in several instances ultrasound has detected heart movement and medics have continued treatment, resulting in return of spontaneous circulation and eventual patient discharge.
- More than 50 medics have been successfully trained on the use of Samsung’s PT60A ultrasound system, receiving certification from the Chief of Trauma. In the field, medics have been able to rapidly access the tablet-based ultrasound to conduct scans while the patient is in transit. Wireless image transmission to the medical director has taken as little as 30 seconds.
Flashback: Samsung Releases UGEO PT60A Tablet Ultrasound Device…
Product page: Samsung Medison UGEO PT60A…
Press release: SAMSUNG Tablet-based Ultrasound Trial Shows Lifesaving Potential in Emergency Services…