Live Stream of Ultrasound in Prehospital Medical Care

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Prehospital emergency ultrasound (PEU) is being increasingly used in different preclinical emergency systems across the world. Ultrasound examinations in emergency situations, however, remain challenging even in the hospital setting despite the availability of standardized approaches such as Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST). Preclinical circumstances further complicate the adequate execution of an additional diagnostic tool such as PEU on the scene or inside a medical emergency vehicle. Furthermore, rapid translation of ultrasound findings into meaningful therapeutic consequences is considerably demanding in an environment of limited resources. If focused PEU is correctly used and patients' condition allows emergency doctors a careful ultrasound examination, it is possible to differentiate life-threatening diagnoses. PEU should be implemented in the management of emergency patients affected by trauma, cardiac arrest/shock or respiratory problems. To date it is unclear whether PEU results in improved outcome. Some emergency cases present difficult challenges in the prehospital ultrasound examination. Portable devices designed for PEU suggest the possibility of increasing the use of ultrasound in the field. However, to the investigator's knowledge, opportunities for real-time consultation with a second specialist including live transmission of the ultrasound picture are not being provided at any preclinical emergency facility.

Detailed Description
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Aim 1: Feasibility of real time prehospital emergency ultrasound (PEU) transmission in a university affiliated preclinical emergency system. Aim 2: Identify obstacles for PEU transmission including a real time consultation of an ultrasound expert. Hypothesis: We expect that live streaming of emergency ultrasound images in order to allow a second opinion could improve diagnostics of life threatening conditions and help us to improve patients' safety by digital health. The use of PEU is feasible and safe.

Official Title
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Live Stream of Emergency Ultrasound to Improve Diagnostics in Prehospital Medical Care: a Feasibility Study

Conditions
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Ultrasound

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Prehospital ultrasound


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Emergency patients affected by: trauma cardiac arrest/shock respiratory problems Exclusion Criteria: Patients rejection. Legal representative's rejection.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 116 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Other: Prehospital ultrasound|Feasibility of real time PEU transmission in a university affiliated preclinical emergency system.|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quality of PEU live stream. | Numerical scale (1-10; 1 = best, 10 = poor) | 3 Months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Identify obstacles for PEU transmission including a real time consultation of an ultrasound expert. | Expert available on time? Communication? Duration of ultrasound examination? Duration of live stream? Delay by PEU transmission? Emergency duration with/without PEU transmission Technical problems? | 3 Months | 
| Identify obstacles for PEU transmission including a real time consultation of an ultrasound expert. | Communication? | 3 Months | 
| Identify obstacles for PEU transmission including a real time consultation of an ultrasound expert. | Duration of ultrasound examination? | 3 Months | 
| Identify obstacles for PEU transmission including a real time consultation of an ultrasound expert. | Duration of live stream? | 3 Months | 
| Identify obstacles for PEU transmission including a real time consultation of an ultrasound expert. | Delay by PEU transmission? | 3 Months | 
| Identify obstacles for PEU transmission including a real time consultation of an ultrasound expert. | Emergency duration with/without PEU transmission technical problems? | 3 Months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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echocardiography, emergency medicine, telemedicine