An appeal for ultrasound scanners has passed its halfway mark in little more than two months with £12,000 raised.
The Cumberland News’ SkyCall appeal is working towards a £20,000 target to be spent on equipping the GNAAS aircraft with portable ultrasound scanners.
Speaking to the newspaper, GNAAS doctor, Jeff Doran, said the scanners could be “invaluable” as it will give the service a wider area of diagnostic ability.
The machine consists of a probe, which sends and receives high frequency sound waves that travel through the body and interact with a variety of body surfaces, either being reflected or refracted. The probe then interprets these sound waves into a series of dots, which form a picture.
Through this technology, doctors are able to visualise various body cavities and tissues, to scan and look for nerves and blood vessels and see what the heart is doing.
Dr Doran explained how useful it could be: “Having that portable ultrasound unit on scene will allow us to pick up certain clinical circumstances so we could act earlier.
“So, for instance, we can scan the lungs and determine whether the lung is collapsed or whether it’s fully inflated; we can scan the heart and determine whether the heart is pumping effectively; and we can also scan the body cavity for fluid. If we were to see bleeding then there are things that we can do on the scene to try and stop that.”
As part of events to mark The Cumberland News’ 200th anniversary, the newspaper wants to raise £20,000, which will buy two portable ultrasound units.
You can donate online, click here
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