Training Standards for Critical Care Ultrasonography
Ultrasound within critical care is growing rapidly and has a large role for multiple diagnostic applications and for guidance of invasive procedures. A recent international roundtable, composed of 29 experts from five continents, just published recommendations on the need for developing training standards for intensive care medical students. Twelve Critical Care societies from around the world have endorsed the framework. They state, “There was 100% agreement among participants that general critical care ultrasound and ‘basic’ critical care echocardiography should be mandatory in the…
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Judith Anderson
On the use of Sonosite ultrasound in Goma
HEAL Africa acquired a Sonosite ultrasound system through the SoundCaring program to serve a hospital treating patients in a war zone. It is housed in the maternity ward but is often used in the Emergency Room.
The very large ultrasound machine at the hospital has been most often out of service due to technical issues since it arrived. HEAL Africa now has a functioning ultrasound machine 24/7! It has been a huge help in diagnosing life-threatening situations. Dr. Christophe Kimona, General Surgeon and Chief of Staff…
Haiti
Sachita Shah, MD, Emergency Medicine
in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake
Day 1 - Entering Haiti, January 27, 2010
When we flew in on Jan 16th to Port-au-Prince, the destruction was evident in many areas. The hardest hit included Carre Four with crumpled houses, which we could see from the plane. The airport was a military zone, and the UN compound had been crushed, with many armed UN and US military throughout the nearby area and various aid groups scrambling about. We were driven by Zanmi Lasante vehicles to several points, only to find the meeting places structurally questionable, finally…
Rwanda
Steven C. Hall, MD, Anesthesiologist
Discusses use to Sonosite ultrasound during a medical mission to Gitwe, Rwanda
Medical Missions for Children is one of the largest nonprofit groups in the United States that provides surgical care for children and adults in some of the poorest and most underserved areas of the world. This is the fourth time a team went to Gitwe, Rwanda, to provide two weeks of free care. The team consisted of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses from around the U.S. Several of us had been there before. Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa and one…
India and Morocco
Phil Arnold, MD
On the use of Sonosite ultrasound for paediatric cardiac anaesthesia in developing nations
Congenital heart disease is one of the most common forms of birth defect, affecting about one in 145 births in the UK or 4,600 babies every year1. About a third of these patients will require surgery, often early in life. Once performed, surgery can be effectively curative in many cases, the majority of these children will not require further surgery and be off all medications within a short period. Some children with more complex conditions will require medical…
Sierra Leone
Scott Farmery, MD Consultant Anaesthetist
at Makeni Hospital, Sierra Leone
Two weeks ago, an email dropped into my hospital inbox in London. It was clearly quite persuasive because, as a direct result, I’m now sitting in a remote hospital in Sierra Leone typing this. Today's star patient is three-year-old Abubakar who had the badly contracted burn scar on his hand released and grafted by Nanak, a plastic surgeon from Birmingham I'd never met before this trip. Abubakar slept comfortably through the whole procedure with some ketamine sedation and an ultrasound-guided arm block.
The email had…
Preventing Medical Catastrophes
Two exemplary Primary Care physicians are “uncovering serious abnormalities” that could not have been found through physical examination. In fact, these physicians found more than 50 cases of thyroid and other cancers. Read their article on the Imaging Economics website about how noninvasive screening at the point of care can help prevent medical catastrophes.
Training Standards for Critical Care Ultrasonography
Ultrasound within critical care is growing rapidly and has a large role for multiple diagnostic applications and for guidance of invasive procedures.
A recent international roundtable, composed of 29 experts from five continents, just published recommendations on the need for developing training standards for intensive care medical students. Twelve Critical Care societies from around the world have endorsed the framework. They state, “There was 100% agreement among participants that general critical care ultrasound and ‘basic’ critical care echocardiography should be mandatory in the…
Emergency Medicine in a War Zone
Sonosite is proud to acknowledge Dr. Todd Baker as a hero. He recently spent 15 months as chief of Emergency Medicine at the Army support hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. His small team worked 20-hour shifts, came under repeated rocket fire, and wore body armor while caring for patients. In the recent “Emergency Medicine in a War Zone” article published on www.acep.org, Dr. Baker recounts how a Sonosite ultrasound system was instrumental in helping save lives in a combat setting. Sonosite is honored to have played a part in his team’s heroic, life-saving service.
EAU Recommends Ultrasound First for Renal Stone Disease
I’ve seen many patients present to the E.D. in severe pain from kidney stones. Renal colic is a common and recurrent condition; it affects over a million people each year in the U.S. and accounts for approximately 1 percent of admissions.1
Diagnosing kidney stones in patients who present with renal colic is often performed with tomography (CT). In the past, Intravenous Urography (IVU) was used. While CT and IVU are accurate diagnostic tests and define clearly the size, shape, and position of uric acid stones, they also present a number of factors that would discourage use,…
This Fox Hunts with Ultrasound
New University | November 30, 2010
“This school year, UC Irvine has become one of the first medical schools in the nation to integrate portable ultrasound training into its curriculum.” Read full article
Medicine’s New Wave
ZotZine | November 2010
“On her first day as a UC Irvine medical student, Sarah Rooney received an Apple iPad." Read full article
New Ultrasound Technology Sharpens Needle Visibility
DotMed Business News | November 2010“Ultrasound is widely used to guide needles as they advance through tissue to their targets. Compared to traditional “blind” approaches based on anatomical landmarks, ultrasound guidance can greatly increase the success and safety of certain needle procedures.”
Sonosite Profits from Diversity
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | June 1, 2008
“For Sonosite, the new models — called the S-series — were a move to expand the market for its ultrasounds by focusing in on its strategy of targeting specialists, who are not regular users of the devices. It could also boost the firm’s profits, which in the past have not kept up with the company’s sales growth.” Read full article
Sonosite Ultrasounds Deployed after China Earthquake
The Life Sciences Blog | May 29, 2008
“Built to military specification, hundreds of Sonosite systems are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan to aid in triaging wounded troops. Most recently, Sonosite systems were dispatched to help victims in the aftermath of the earthquake in China.” Read full article
Vital Equipment Thanks to Scone Race Club
The Scone Advocate | May 21, 2008
“With the donation, the hospital will be able to purchase its own Sonosite M-Turbo ultrasound system.” Read full article
Quietly, the Biomedical Device Industry Grows
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | May 15, 2008
“In Bothell, the biomedical device industry is anchored by Sonosite, a manufacturer of hand-carried ultrasound machines.” Read full article
Another Way to Detect Hidden Heart Disease
King 5 News | February 19, 2008
“Karen Marate thought she was doing everything right until she volunteered for a test that revealed dangerous blockages in her neck that could lead to a heart attack or stroke.”
Note: Link no longer available from original site
Handhelds Become Instant Hit for Maker of Ultrasound Devices
CNN Money | February 7, 2008
“Shortly after Sonosite launched its newest product lineup in December, management knew it hit a home run.”
Note: Link no longer available from original site
Medical Device Manufacturer Makes Hand-Carried Ultrasound a Reality
Microsoft Case Study | November 7, 2007
“Sonosite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO) is leading in the race to make medical imaging devices smaller and more portable. Its lightweight, hand-carried, point-of-care ultrasound products enable clinicians to deliver safer, better, faster care, right at the patient bedside.” Read full article