Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is taking a significant step in improving emergency care with the use of portable ultrasound machines.
This technology is expected to cut down response times in critical situations, potentially saving lives in the community.
While ultrasounds are not a new medical tool, their use in the field by first responders is for Virginia Beach.
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If someone is involved in a serious car accident in Virginia Beach they may appear uninjured from the outside, but there could be internal injuries that are not immediately apparent.
Thanks to the new ultrasound technology, Virginia Beach EMS can conduct checks in the field.
John Hood “We will use the ultrasound to look at their abdomen to see if there is any blood in their abdomen,” said Stewart Martin, medical director of Virginia Beach EMS. “If there is, then we can start a transfusion of blood.”