Morongo Basin Ambulance has added a potentially life-saving piece of equipment to their fleet of five vehicles. The butterfly ultrasound is a tiny handheld device that plugs into a standard iPad and can help diagnose hidden traumas that normally would have to wait until the patient arrived at the hospital.
Operations Manager Craig Bell demonstrated the device, and he says that in a rural service area that covers over 2700 square miles having as much information as possible is vital to making more informed decisions about where to take patients. Internal bleeding, collapsed chest cavities, and heart issues are just a few of the conditions that a portable ultrasound can help diagnose in the field – and the ultrasound images can then be transmitted to the hospital to help them prepare for the patient, saving time on both sides.
These ultrasounds are a part of a nationwide study to collect data on the effectiveness of these devices, with the hi desert being the only rural area included in the program. Bell says he sees these devices as an opportunity to provide better services to patients in the hi desert, as well as being a massive step forward for pre-hospital care in general.
LINKS:
Morongo Basin Ambulance – https://www.mbambulance.org/
