Samsung Electronics America said the use of its tablet-based ultrasound system in emergency services vehicles in Texas has yielded speedier treatment for critical trauma patients in an ongoing trial.
For the trial, which began on July 1, six emergency services vehicles at Bedford, Hurst, and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Airport Fire Departments have been outfitted with the vendor's PT60A tablet-ultrasound system. If a specialist's opinion is needed, the ultrasound studies are sent wirelessly via Trice Imaging's mobile encryption and image management software to physicians at JPS Health Network, according to Samsung.
So far, the system has been used in 91 cases to support diagnosis involving trauma, internal bleeding, acute abdominal pain, and cardiac arrest, Samsung said. In several cases, medics or doctors at the hospital were able to positively identify internal bleeding and/or fluids before the patient arrived at the emergency room.
Furthermore, medics at DFW Airport's Fire Department have employed ultrasound for cardiac patients who had no pulse. In several instances, the medics continued treatment after ultrasound detected heart movement, leading to the return of spontaneous circulation and eventual patient discharge, Samsung said.
The company also reported that more than 50 medics had been trained on PT60A and received certification from the hospital's chief of trauma. It takes as little as 30 seconds to send images wirelessly to the medical director, according to Samsung.
