The Economic Times Healthworld recently released a short documentary exploring how point-of-care ultrasound improves patient outcomes at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, one of the best multi-speciality hospitals located in the financial capital region of India. In the documentary, Healthworld interviewed the point-of-care physicians at the hospital about their experiences with POCUS.
The physicians at KDAH are currently using the Sonosite M-Turbo, S-Nerve and Edge II color doppler ultrasound systems in various indoor departments for varied clinical applications. In the anesthesia, paediatrics and critical care departments, these devices have helped reduce the costs associated with procedural complications while increasing patient safety.
Dr. Shweta Singh, Clinical Associate of Critical Care department said that they are using M-Turbo system for almost all the ultrasound guided procedures such as line insertions, fluid taping etc. and Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is helping her to avoid complications & get more precise diagnostic information. She believes that one should always use ultrasound while performing procedural guidance for ascertaining accuracy.
Dr. Harshal Wagh, Consultant, Anaesthesia quoted “Ultrasound gives an eye to see things which we can’t see through blind landmark techniques, it gives us a real-time image while doing the procedure”. He mentioned that they extensively use point-of-care ultrasound for performing many clinical applications and every year their DNB students get to learn about the regional nerve blocks, central venous catheterization & arterial access at KDAH. He also stated that Ultrasound has immensely helped them in identifying the correct placement of endotracheal tube & for lung scanning in COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Pritha Joshi, Consultant at Neonatal & Paediatric ICU mentioned that in children infected by COVID-19, the chances of getting pneumonia are very high and Point of care Ultrasound is very helpful in monitoring the conditions of lungs in such cases. She routinely utilises Sonosite system for performing various clinical applications like measuring the intracranial pressure, look for brain swelling, and for confirming the correct placement of the catheter under ultrasound guidance.