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Glasgow’s Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS) has recently evaluated SonoSite’s NanoMaxx® hand-carried ultrasound system for its helicopter retrieval service.
Dr Laura McGregor, Registrar, explained: “The EMRS is an aeromedical retrieval service that supports emergency care for patients in remote rural areas, providing rapid access to critical care interventions and transfer to hospital for ongoing treatment. We were keen to use ultrasound for new applications in the assessment and treatment of patients, and needed a system that could be flight tested, as well as being lightweight, easily portable and robust.”
“We have used the NanoMaxx for a range of procedures, including central and venous line insertion, as well as for assessing pneumothorax and free abdominal fluid in trauma, and performing post cardiac arrest echocardiograms. Peripheral and central intravenous access can be performed more easily under ultrasound guidance and sonography could potentially prevent unnecessary insertion of chest drains. We have also used the NanoMaxx to assess fluid balance at the inferior vena cava, allowing more accurate determination of a patient’s condition and helping to guide treatment planning. The system is very easy to use and well suited to our needs.”
