Finding a vein or working out if there is fluid in a patient's lungs just got a whole lot easier for Dr Markus Renner.
The intensive care specialist, who frequently flies on Otago Regional Rescue Helicopters, now has access to a portable ultrasound scanner he said would be a game-changer for patient care in mid-air.
"It's too loud in the helicopter to use a stethoscope."
Before the $10,000 scanner arrived two weeks ago, his only option for seeing under a patient's skin as the rescue helicopter sped towards Dunedin Hospital was a physical examination, which could cause uncertainties when trying to identify issues in a patient's heart, lung, veins or throat, he said.
Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter chief pilot Graham Gale shared Dr Renner's excitement over the scanner.
"We can offer care throughout the region that used to be only available at the hospital.
"Having that level of care makes all the difference in the field."
Mr Gale said the Otago service was the only one of its kind in the country to fly intensive care specialists like Dr Renner on "primary interventions," when the helicopter attended incidents such as car crashes and treated patients on site.
Only doctors were currently able to deploy the scanner, but rescue helicopter paramedics were being trained in its use, Mr Gale said.
