By FireRescue1 Staff
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — A fire department will become the first in Massachusetts to use ultrasound technology to diagnose patients.
NECN reported that the Foxborough Fire Department began training on the ultrasound device that can be plugged into tablets or phones and can help diagnose things such as collapsed lungs and internal bleeding.
“It’s like a flashlight,” Deputy Chief Michael Kelleher said. “We can see into the human body and see what’s going on. It allows making an actual diagnosis as opposed to using our best judgment.”
Kelleher said being able to diagnose internal bleeding is critical when responding to vehicle crashes, and the device can help determine which hospital to transport a patient to for treatment.
“Our trauma centers here are about 20 miles away, so with this, we will be able to make a quick determination if a patient can go to a community hospital or if we’re going to have to go a little bit further,” Lt. Andrew Puntini said.
Paramedic Instructor Peter Bonadonna said the device is also cost-effective.
“A heart monitor is $30,000 and you can get these things for $2,000 now,” he said. “At an emergency scene, it can outperform a stethoscope and a chest X-ray.”
The department will lease their device for $200 a month.
“Pretty much every shift we’ve been on, there’s been a call where we would have been able to use this technology,” Puntini said.
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