Ultrasound Helps Intravenous Line Insertion for Children with Difficult Access
In a July 2019 study published in Annals of Emergency Medicine, researchers determined that ultrasound-guided line insertions improves the first-attempt success rates over traditional palpation methods for children with predicted difficult access.
Previous research had shown successful first-attempt rates were approximately 75% for pediatric intravenous lines, with children with difficult access sometimes requiring multiple attempts.1, 2 Difficulty in obtaining line access often results in diagnostic and treatment delays as well as more pain and anxiety for the patient and family. If…
Doctor Uses Ultrasound-Guided Injections to Treat Peruvian Farmers
Sports medicine specialist Dr. David Sealy, MD CAQSM works with the Volunteers in Medical Missions, a Christian medical organization that sends 15 to 18 medical missions a year to countries around the world. Dr. Sealy returned from a 10-day trip in the high Andes in Peru, visiting five villages over a five-day period to provide medical care. Dr. Sealy’s team included eight doctors, two nurses, a Pharm.D., and five more volunteers. Partnering with a church in Lima, his team set up clinics in schools, churches, posta medicas (small public health clinics), and other community buildings. They saw…
Ultrasound Helps Canadian Doctor Give Back to Her Two Countries
Emergency physician Dr. Chau Pham is the founder and Co-Chair of Canadians Helping Kids in Vietnam (CHKV), an organization established in 1995 to help improve the lives of the poorest in Vietnam by improving conditions that directly empower children.
Dr. Pham knows all too well the challenges Vietnamese children face. She was a refugee herself, coming to Canada from Vietnam when she was seven years old in 1983. She was diagnosed with TB, and had to stay in a Thai refugee camp for treatment for a year before she was admitted into Canada. It was during this formative time that she came to…
Financial Impact of ERAS Program
OR Today Magazine
Philip Corvo, MD, MA, FACS, and Wesley Knauft, MD
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)
is a paradigm shift in perioperative care that can benefit both hospitals and their patients. In this article published in OR Today by Philip Corvo, MD, MA, FACS, and Wesley Knauft, MD, they share a case study about their experience at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Trinity Health Of New England, a 347-bed acute care community teaching hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut, regarding the clinical and financial benefits of an ERAS program that includes Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia (UGRA…
Fujifilm Sonosite Brings New Workflow Solution to Point-of-Care Ultrasound
Dotmed.com
Trevor Bromley
One of the main reasons cited regarding physician burnout is the administrative burden and hassle factor of electronic health records. Regarding imaging services, current PACS workflow solutions have been designed for MRI or CT machines making it harder for physicians who use ultrasound at the point of care to document their services with ease. There is now a new system, Sonosite Synchronicity software, that was exclusively designed with ultrasound and point-of-care applications in mind. This new system addresses compliance, quality improvement, credentialing,…
Dr. Trish Henwood and Sonosite Continue to Battle Ebola
We’ve been following emergency physician Dr. Trish Henwood <link to https://www.sonosite.com/blog-tags/trish-henwood[SM1] >, co-founder and Director of Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Resource-limited Environments (PURE), since 2014. In this latest update, Dr. Henwood discusses her latest trip to Liberia during the most recent outbreak of Ebola.
[SM1]We’ll need to provide the node # and confirm with Damon and Charlie whether these articles were published in ES, DE, FR as well.
Note, too the first article has a caption at the top, but the image is at the bottom of…
Pain Management Scientist Describes Benefits of Ultrasound-Guided Therapies
In a July 2019 article published in HealthManagement.org, Dr. Francois Louw M.D., clinical assistant professor at the Bill Nelems Pain and Research Centre at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, described an extensive list of strategies to reduce opioid use in chronic pain clinics. Dr. Louw advocates for ultrasound-guided injection therapies, which he says is a safer, more effective alternative to opioids for chronic pain. He describes recent studies and case histories from his work at the Bill Nelems Centre, where he collaborated with nine doctors who logged in more than 11,000…
Letter from Uganda: Ultrasound Vital in OBGYN Care
Image courtesy of Acclaim Physician Group
Dr. Kent Brantly, a clinical faculty member of the John Peter Smith Family Medicine Residency in Fort Worth, Texas, recently returned from a medical mission in Kampala, Uganda. He loaned a portable ultrasound device from Sonosite, which proved indispensable for both clinical and educational purposes. He writes:
“I wanted to write to you to say thank you for the service provided by FUJIFILM Sonosite Global Health. I led a group of three residents from our program in Texas on a month-long international rotation in Kampala, Uganda, where we…
The World Needs More Ultrasound Machines
Ultrasound, CT scanners, and x-ray machines are medical technologies we generally take for granted. But in resource-limited areas around the world, access to these life-saving devices is severely limited. In a September 2017 feature in The Atlantic, medical writer Jason Silverstein described the challenges developing countries face without the benefit of point-of-care ultrasound devices, x-ray machines, and CT scanners.
Silverstein illustrated the stunning contrast between developing countries and one American city. Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital alone has 126 radiologists1, while…
Sonosite M-Turbo Gets Plenty of Work in Vanuatu: Part One
Dr. Jonathan “Jono” Henry is an emergency physician based in Melbourne, Australia. After he gave a talk at the 2018 ASUM Conference in Auckland, Dr. Henry was asked by the Vanuatu Ministry of Health to assist with emergency services in their country. The Pacific archipelago nation is still struggling to emerge from a 2015 cyclone.For six months Dr. Henry was based at Northern Provincial Hospital, located in the city of Luganville on the island Espiritu Santo. This is Vanuatu’s second-largest hospital, serving a population of 160,000. Naturally, Dr. Henry knew a portable ultrasound…
Restoring Hope by Reducing Pain and Disability
Asha Vihar is a development aid project in the state of Jharkhand, Eastern India that delivers free healthcare to those who need it most. Anesthetists Dr. Lukas Fischer and Dr. Peter Lembach volunteered at Asha Vihar’s annual surgical camp for children with musculoskeletal abnormalities. Dr. Fischer depended heavily on using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to guide needle insertions and provide regional anesthesia, enabling life-changing interventions.
Many people in India cannot afford health insurance or pay for surgery that their child may have needed for many years. These families…
Sonosite Ultrasound the Star Attraction at AORA Conference
The Economic Times Healthworld.com covered FUJIFILM Sonosite’s exhibit of its latest ultrasound products at the 9th National Conference of Academy of Regional Anesthesia (AORA), organized by the Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care, Ganga Hospital from July 4-7, 2019 at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
During the tradeshow at Le Meridien hotel, FUJIFILM Sonosite displayed their SII, Edge II, X-Porte, and iViz point-of-care ultrasound systems. The SII was the primary attraction during the main event and at the post-conference workshops.
Dr. T.V.S Gopal, President of AORA India…
Seattle Emergency Clinician Brings Ultrasound to Rural Nigeria
Alaro Lawson DNP, emergency room provider at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, returned from a medical mission to Bakana, Nigeria on behalf of the Kalabari National Association (KNA). She took with her two Sonosite Edge portable ultrasound machines, accompanied with C60x, HFL38X, HFL50X, ICTx, L25x, L38xi, P10x, C11x, and P21x transducers, provided by Sonosite’s Global Health Loaner Pool. This is the fourth year KNA has partnered with local Nigerian organizations to provide free healthcare to residents in rural, often neglected communities in the Niger Delta region. Alaro described the…
Sonographer Takes Sonosite Edge to Belize
Deborah Majure RT, CV, RDMS, RCC is a diagnostic medical sonographer who knows the importance of ultrasound in resource-limited environments. She recently returned from a charitable medical mission to Belize, sent by First Presbyterian Church, Pascagoula, Mississippi, which is affiliated with Word at Work ministry. This was their fourth mission to Belize. Deborah came with a radiologist, nurse practitioner, resident nurse, pharmacist, and a construction team. She also brought a Sonosite Edge portable ultrasound machine with C60x and HFL38x transducers loaned from the Sonosite Global Loaner…
Fujifilm Sonosite and Partners HealthCare Launch Artificial Intelligence Initiative
FUJIFILM Sonosite, Inc. announced the launch of a strategic relationship with Partners HealthCare to apply artificial intelligence (AI) to POCUS applications. The two companies will collaborate to use AI-based models that will assist clinicians in diagnosis and enhance quality of care. The collaboration will be executed through the MGH & BWH Center for Clinical Data Science and leverage the extensive data assets, computational infrastructure, and clinical expertise of the Partners HealthCare system.
Rich Fabian, President and Chief Operating Officer of FUJIFILM Sonosite, Inc. said…
Medical Mission Uses Portable Ultrasound Machine in Liberia
Allison Byrne is a physical therapist and co-leader of a medical team from the Park Community Church in Chicago. She recently returned from a medical mission to assist the Light Evangelism Ministry (LEM) clinic in Fendell, Liberia. The LEM clinic provides diagnoses and treatment via IV and oral medications to any patients who come to be seen with only limited electricity from a generator.Allison’s team consisted of six people with various medical backgrounds (including a resident nurse, osteopath, and physician assistant) and two more people who primarily supported the ministry’s school. They…
Sonosite M-Turbo Fights Varicose Veins in Honduras
Dr. Dvora Nelson is a general surgeon specializing in the treatment of varicose veins. She has gone on medical missions for the Hackett Hemwall Patterson Foundation since 2006. Dr. Nelson went to a remote mountain clinic in Olanchito, Honduras to treat patients with varicose veins with two portable M-Turbo ultrasound machines on loan from Sonosite.
Dr. Nelson understands all too well the seriousness of varicose veins, a potentially debilitating condition. She explains the complications that could occur if this condition is not attended to:
“Varicose veins can be very painful. Basically,…
Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D., Visits Fujifilm Sonosite
FUJIFILM Sonosite was honored to host Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D., who represents Washington’s 8th District, at our Bothell campus on July 8th. Congresswoman Schrier interacted with our point-of-care ultrasound products and held an extremely well-attended Town Hall meeting to take questions from our employees.
Congresswoman Schrier is currently the only woman physician serving in Congress. She received her medical degree from UC Davis and completed her residency at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. She joined Virginia Mason Medical Center in Issaquah, Washington in…
Studies Show POCUS Saves Time for Pregnant Patients
In a March 2019 meta-analysis of eight studies published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, data shows that the use of pelvic point-of-care ultrasound (PPOCUS) can lead to pregnant patients spending less time in the Emergency Department. These decreased lengths of stay can help EDs and hospitals reduce crowding and enhance their quality of care1.
When examining a pregnant patient, emergency physicians must make a choice of performing either PPOCUS or a comprehensive ultrasound (CUS) through the radiology or gynecology departments. Access to CUS, however, varies widely by…
POCUS Profile: Dr. T.V.S. Gopal
Dr. T.V.S. Gopal, Head of the Department of Anaesthesia and Associate Medical Director at CARE Hospitals in Hyderabad, India, has been practicing for more than 30 years. In this recent interview, Dr. Gopal discusses how POCUS has transformed the craft of anesthesiology and the many scenarios where he uses ultrasound.
When did you start using ultrasound?
I began my foray into ultrasound guided regional anesthesia in year 2006 when I attended the Second Advanced Regional Anaesthesia & Ultrasound Guided Peripheral Nerve Block Course conducted by the Aesculap Academy in Tan Tock Seng…