New portable ultrasound device trialled at Peterborough City Hospital
The 'Butterfly' can be used in a wide range of emergency situations - with developers saying it will have huge benefits for patient care
Trainees in emergency medicine at Peterborough City Hospital are among the first in the county to be trialling the use of portable ultrasound devices to assess patients faster than before.
These portable devices are used for point of care ultrasound (POCUS) training and allow trainees to learn how to undertake POCUS assessments by providing the opportunity for immediate feedback.
Once trained, it allows trainees to use ultrasound in a wide range of emergency situations to enhance clinical assessment and allow specific questions to be answered while at the bedside.
The ‘Butterfly’ ultrasound systems have been introduced as a training tool by Toby Edmunds, a consultant in critical care, emergency medicine and pre-hospital emergency medicine, based at Peterborough City Hospital.
Dr Edmunds joined North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust just over a year ago having trained in the North of Scotland.
He also flies regular shifts with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA), where is he is the ultrasound lead; having developed a governance system to ensure safe use of the same type of device that has been introduced at the Peterborough City Hospital Emergency Department.
He said: “EAAA have used the Butterfly ultrasound device for around four years and seen huge benefits to patient care from it. I have introduced this as a training tool for the emergency medicine trainees in Peterborough in the hope we can make these skills more accessible.
“The devices are easy to use, plugging into an iPad and allowing the trainees to use them remotely at bedspaces.
“Trainees can scan a patient and receive educational guidance within 48-72 hours. This is a great example of the Trust using technology to improve the trainee experience.”