On the weekend of July 1 and 2, the pretty ski resort of Morzine in the region of Savoy welcomed the famous and difficult Spartan Race, an obstacle race open to all physical abilities and all levels. Competitors came from all over Europe to take part in the event.
With cold temperatures (54°F [12°C]), mud, rain, and a glacial river, the competition lived up to its reputation. In this type of race, competitors are put through the mill and regrettably injuries are common. When it comes to first aid, it pays to be prepared. Dr. Bensalah is used to extreme competitions. He is a doctor in the Intensive Care Unit at St Anne military hospital in Toulon and head of the Spartan Race emergency unit, and requested a FUJIFILM Sonosite M-Turbo ultrasound scanner to help him manage his patients' treatment better.
I welcome you to follow Dr. Bensalah's testimony below on the benefits of portable ultrasound scanners in the medical management of a high-risk sporting event.
"The ultrasound scanner is a simple, non-invasive tool that is increasingly becoming an extra eye, ear and hand for doctors. This is even truer in isolated situations where doctors do not have fast access to the most precise imaging tools. In our competition (Spartan Race), this definition takes is highly accurate. It's an obstacle race that can cause potentially serious accidents (falls of more than 16 ft. [5 m], fractures, cardiovascular problems, and so on).
In this kind of isolated situation, the ultrasound scanner is used not as a precise diagnostic tool for GPs (although this is within its capabilities), but a tool that enables the doctor to carry out emergency treatment or, on the contrary, to rule out a potentially serious diagnosis. In reality, it's in a pre-hospital context that FAST ultrasound scanning comes into its own.
For example, with thoracic and costal injuries, ruling out pleural effusion (gas or liquid) may allow the athlete to be discharged with a simple analgesic treatment. On the contrary, the presence of an effusion would lead to equipped monitoring at the field hospital whilst awaiting medical evacuation, or emergency treatment if the clinical situation deteriorates (exsufflation or pleural drainage). The case is the same for closed abdominal injuries.
Portable ultrasound scanners play an important role in medical surveillance at sporting events that can cause potentially serious accidents." »