ED ultrasound help

[panscan]

Happy new year all.

I am a ED US director and we are in the market for a new ultrasound. The main reason for this is to make the process easier to do E-FAST exams. We have a few issues with an older ultrasound as the process is too complicated for it to be done correctly, getting the images linked to PACS and Epic, in addition to the resolution being poor.

Does anyone have a particular ultrasound you use that has worked out well, the process for doing FAST exams is easy and straightforward, preferably that you can do the scan without having to put an order into Epic or just scan a wristband? Would anyone be willing to share the process/workflow they use for FAST exams?

We are a trauma center and doing FAST exams in particular is important for our credentialing/maintaining trauma status.

Thanks for any and all help.

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[Groove]

We currently use GE and Mindray. The one that gets used the most is the GE Venue which is a little more heft to lug around but it's got excellent battery life and is a solid US. Our TH sites have them in 3 of our biggest EDs. It's got a huge touch display that can get wiped down and cleaned easily. At my last job, I was responsible for purchasing our dept US and I bought a Sonosite SII which has a smaller footprint, also touchscreen and can be wiped down and cleaned easily. It was easier to lug around and a little more mobile than the GE Venue but didn't have as much battery life and the screen was smaller. I like both for different reasons. I almost never use the mindray but if you're on a budget, you can probably get a better deal for a mindray device.

If you're still not sure, just phone up the local sales guys and they will come by and demo a unit for you and leave it for a few days for you to test out. I did that with GE/Sonosite/Mindray back when I was researching our own device. Whatever you choose, get a touchscreen panel for the ED. That way blood and crud won't accumulate in hard to reach places. If you have an old device, you can sometimes trade that in to the same manufacturer for a better deal on an upgraded one. Also call Anesthesia/ICU and see which ones they are using. Chances are you might get a discount if the hospital is purchasing multiple units of the same device.

 

[Groove]

I think I prefer the GE Venue after thinking about it due to the huge display. However, for sheer efficiency...the Sonosite SII is hard to beat. I even had a printer on the bottom and would take a single shot for billing purposes and throw it in the chart. I racked up some RVUs with that device. Both would be solid for FAST, regional blocks, you name it. The GE Venue has 3 probes that can be attached at one time. The SII is 2 probes if memory serves. I had a little drawer underneath where I would keep the alternate probe(s) and would switch them out.

 

[RustedFox]

We have an absolute monster of an US machine that I love. I call it the "PlayStation". I'll have a look tonite on-shift and follow-up with a name.

 

[GassYous]

I think I prefer the GE Venue after thinking about it due to the huge display. However, for sheer efficiency...the Sonosite SII is hard to beat. I even had a printer on the bottom and would take a single shot for billing purposes and throw it in the chart. I racked up some RVUs with that device. Both would be solid for FAST, regional blocks, you name it. The GE Venue has 3 probes that can be attached at one time. The SII is 2 probes if memory serves. I had a little drawer underneath where I would keep the alternate probe(s) and would switch them out.

I don't do fast exams but I like sonosites the best for blocks and lines. Can keep meds, needles, covers, chloropreps and lube in that drawer too.

 

[deleted813736]

Is it that ridiculous of an idea to have a few ipad pros attached to a few butterfly US's? I think the majority of things us ED docs ultrasound are able to be cleanly and neatly done with these devices.

 

[panscan]

Is it that ridiculous of an idea to have a few ipad pros attached to a few butterfly US's? I think the majority of things us ED docs ultrasound are able to be cleanly and neatly done with these devices.

Nope, I think that would be a good idea. And it’s amazing how much less it would cost than a real ultrasound which is 50-80k, versus a 1k iPad and 3k butterfly.

 

[nimbus]

Is it that ridiculous of an idea to have a few ipad pros attached to a few butterfly US's? I think the majority of things us ED docs ultrasound are able to be cleanly and neatly done with these devices.

Butterfly is a poor substitute for a sonosite. Footprint of the probe is too big, images too soft. I have one and never use it at work. It’s just a toy for home use.

 

[RustedFox]

We have an absolute monster of an US machine that I love. I call it the "PlayStation". I'll have a look tonite on-shift and follow-up with a name.

Update: GE Venue.

 

[Groove]

Is it that ridiculous of an idea to have a few ipad pros attached to a few butterfly US's? I think the majority of things us ED docs ultrasound are able to be cleanly and neatly done with these devices.

Agree with @nimbus, it would be totally usable in say... a third world country on a mission trip or something but it's really last gen as far as image quality goes. I could squeak by with it easy enough but the image fidelity pales in comparison to a current gen ultrasound. It's basically a cool US toy in it's current iteration though I have first gen model. Some things it's not bad at...Abd US, MSK, FAST. Cardiac and regional....bleh. Not so good. Decent at vascular studies or line placement.

 

[WildEMDoc]

Big fan of the GE Venue as well.

Mindray TE7's are garbage IMO though (look like iPad's so they are super appealing from a cleaning standpoint), my old dept bought 2 of them and they ended up being a huge waste of money. Whether other mindray stuff is better I can't speak to any of their other models.

 

[Siggy]

Butterfly is a poor substitute for a sonosite. Footprint of the probe is too big, images too soft. I have one and never use it at work. It’s just a toy for home use.

Agree.

I have one that I can take to a rapid, floor code, etc for a quick cardiac exam. Sometimes I'll take it with me when I round if I want a quick IVC.

For procedures, I've tried it a few times with my old cell phone and it never works out well.