Currituck County Fire-EMS is upgrading its patient assessment capability by adding ultrasound imaging technology to its ambulances.
Currituck County received special approval from the North Carolina Medical Director, Dr. Tripp Winslow, and is only the fourth EMS agency in the state to receive approval for the use of this advanced technology.
This will help Currituck Fire-EMS continue to provide the best care possible for the county’s residents and visitors.
Ultrasound involves creating imagery and the interpretation of high frequency sound waves. This fast and accurate technology will allow EMS providers the capability to assess patients internally as well as externally.
Ultrasound imagery can quickly identify life-threatening emergencies such as internal bleeding and collapsed lungs.
It can also aid the ambulance staff with starting difficult IVs, monitoring fetal heart rates, and confirming heart stoppage when confirming death.
Currituck EMS crews will be able to transmit the images to the emergency room while in route to a hospital, prior to the arrival of the patient. This will enable the emergency room team to develop a quicker patient care plan.
Based on their review of the imagery, the emergency room physicians can also provide guidance to the EMS crew while in transit.
Currituck Fire-EMS is partnering with emergency medicine physicians from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia to receive initial training on the ultrasound technology. They will also offer continuing education throughout the year for Currituck’s Fire-EMS staff.