Proposed benefits of using portable US in the pre-hospital setting include support in determining the appropriate method of transportation and patient destination (i.e., level of facility), prevention of unnecessary field interventions (e.g., needle thoracostomy for patients with suspected pneumothorax), provision of necessary time-sensitive pharmaceutical treatments (e.g., as may be required by patients with congestive heart failure), and increased efficiency of care of the critically ill. They have shown value in the context of limited resources and expertise such as rural or remote settings where treatment may be improved by transmitting images to central sites.Īnother out-of-hospital context that portable US has shown potential for is the pre-hospital setting. Portable US is primarily used for diagnostic purposes, but therapeutic uses (e.g., US guided pericardiocentesis) have been documented. Their application in emergency medicine is widespread as the operation of US is non-invasive, inexpensive and not associated with radiation exposure. Portable US devices are lauded for being lightweight, small, and durable, and for providing high quality, high-resolution imaging at a lower cost than conventional US. Examples include PRIMEDIC HandyScan, V-scan (GE Healthcare), and SonoSite devices. ![]() Portable US devices, also referred to as point-of-care US (POCUS), mobile US, bedside US, and encompassing specific procedures such as focused-assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST), comprise a range of technologies including handheld devices, conventional mobile bedside devices and other devices with mobility. Emergency physicians often rely on technology such as portable ultrasound (US) to assist in decision making when treating patients in critical condition.
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