Abstract
Introduction
Bedside thoracic ultrasound has been shown to be a valuable diagnostic tool in the
emergency department. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of
bedside thoracic ultrasound in the prehospital HEMS setting.
Setting
Air ambulance helicopters during patient transportation.
Methods
This was a prospective pilot study. 71 consecutive, nonpregnant patients over 18 years
old were enrolled. While in flight, providers completed limited bedside thoracic ultrasounds
with the patient supine and recorded their interpretation of the presence or absence
of the ultrasonographic sliding lung sign on a closed data-set instrument.
Results
41 (58%) of the eligible patients had a recorded thoracic ultrasound acquired in flight.
The level of agreement in image interpretation between the flight crew and expert
reviewer was substantial (Kappa 0.67, CI 0.44-0.90). The reviewer rated 54% of all
images as “good” in quality. The most common reason cited for not completing the ultrasound
was lack of enough provider time or space limitations within the aircraft cabin.
Conclusion
The results of this study suggest that, with limited training, bedside thoracic ultrasound
image acquisition and interpretation for the sliding lung sign in the HEMS setting
is feasible.
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Article Info
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Air Medical Journal Associates. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
