LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — Lake Geneva Fire Department paramedics can now perform focused cardiac scans in the field using handheld ultrasound devices, the department announced.
The technology will be used during cardiac arrest calls to help paramedics assess whether the heart has activity and identify certain potentially reversible causes of the arrest.
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Ultrasound can also help crews evaluate the effectiveness of chest compressions and make treatment decisions before and during transport, according to the department.
Less than 24 hours after announcing the implementation, crews used the technology during a cardiac arrest response that resulted in a successful resuscitation, the department stated. No additional information about the patient or the circumstances of the call was released.
The department said the scans are intended to supplement, not replace, established cardiac arrest treatments, such as high-quality CPR and early defibrillation. Paramedics received specialized training to use the devices without causing prolonged interruptions in chest compressions.
Mercyhealth Systems assisted the department with training and the implementation of the technology.
