OBJECTIVE: As military operations become smaller and more remote and as humanitarian missions increase, ultrasound technology is emerging as a valuable asset for defining injuries in austere settings. This study evaluated the feasibility of focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) examinations in a field environment with real-time images sent wireless to an antenna and over satellite. METHODS: Using a 6-lb SonoSite portable ultrasound device with battery pack, FAST examinations were performed on a healthy volunteer, transferred wireless at distances of 1,000 and 1,500 feet from the receiving antenna using a vest-mounted microwave transmitter, and then redirected over satellite (INMARSAT) to a remote hospital for review by emergency physicians, and a radiologist. RESULTS: Real-time wireless transmissions at 1,500 feet reliably yielded images without quality or interpretability drop compared with those recorded digitally at the examination site. A 32% reduction in image quality and interpretability was seen with still images and a 42% reduction was noted with cine loops using INMARSAT. The authors did not find the upper distance limit of the wireless transmitter used. CONCLUSION: This study suggests 1) that remote FAST examinations are plausible for prehospital care and triage using new-generation portable ultrasound units, 2) that line-of-sight transmission of FAST examinations when compared with on-site images results in no degradation in image quality or interpretability at distances used, 3) that ranges greater than 1,500 feet are feasible for interpretable examinations and therefore line-of-site mass casualty or field triage sites, and 4) that real-time INMARSAT transmission of FAST examinations at 64 kbps may serve a limited role for remote clinical interpretation.
OBJECTIVE: As military operations become smaller and more remote and as humanitarian missions increase, ultrasound technology is emerging as a valuable asset for defining injuries in austere settings. This study evaluated the feasibility of focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) examinations in a field environment with real-time images sent wireless to an antenna and over satellite. METHODS: Using a 6-lb SonoSite portable ultrasound device with battery pack, FAST examinations were performed on a healthy volunteer, transferred wireless at distances of 1,000 and 1,500 feet from the receiving antenna using a vest-mounted microwave transmitter, and then redirected over satellite (INMARSAT) to a remote hospital for review by emergency physicians, and a radiologist. RESULTS: Real-time wireless transmissions at 1,500 feet reliably yielded images without quality or interpretability drop compared with those recorded digitally at the examination site. A 32% reduction in image quality and interpretability was seen with still images and a 42% reduction was noted with cine loops using INMARSAT. The authors did not find the upper distance limit of the wireless transmitter used. CONCLUSION: This study suggests 1) that remote FAST examinations are plausible for prehospital care and triage using new-generation portable ultrasound units, 2) that line-of-sight transmission of FAST examinations when compared with on-site images results in no degradation in image quality or interpretability at distances used, 3) that ranges greater than 1,500 feet are feasible for interpretable examinations and therefore line-of-site mass casualty or field triage sites, and 4) that real-time INMARSAT transmission of FAST examinations at 64 kbps may serve a limited role for remote clinical interpretation.
Authors: Stanislaw Peter Stawicki; James M Howard; John P Pryor; David P Bahner; Melissa L Whitmill; Anthony J Dean Journal: World J Orthop Date: 2010-11-18
Authors: Linping Pian; Lawrence M Gillman; Paul B McBeth; Zhengwen Xiao; Chad G Ball; Michael Blaivas; Douglas R Hamilton; Andrew W Kirkpatrick Journal: Emerg Med Int Date: 2013-01-28 Impact factor: 1.112