Description

In this conversation, we will examine the utility and functions of ultrasound within air ambulance services. We look at how the aggregation of data and familiarity with ultrasound is narrowing down and assisting time to intervention and time to definitive care. We look at the scans of preference and some of the data around pneumothoraces, tamponade and positive findings under ultrasound in the critical care patient. Importantly we will get Dan’s perspective on where ultrasound is affecting patient care and where he sees the future of ultrasound going within pre-hospital care. 

Dan Nevin is a PHEM consultant with London’s Air Ambulance and an Anaesthetist with Barts and the Royal London NHS Trust. Dan has years of experience working in pre-hospital care in both South Africa, where he originally trained, and in the UK. His special interests include trauma, critical care anaesthesia and PHEM. Dan is also the ultrasound lead for LAA and has been leading the use of POC ultrasound within the service. In the conversation we exam:

• Why ultrasound has become a useful tool in trauma.
• Data collected on scans and relationship with intervention (surgical or otherwise).
• The protocol that LAA prescribe to in practice.
• The governance around image acquisition and decision

-making.

• USS within Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and where it should sit in practice.
• KPIs and frequency of scanning.
• Where ultrasound is going and the future of USS within critical care.
• Take home messages

My thanks to Dan for an insightful and engaging interview.