I had a few opportunities this week to use a handheld ultrasound while on call, and I was quite impressed with the experience. I was able to quickly assess volume status, gross cardiac function and rule out significant pleural effusions quickly and easily on a few of the patients that were admitted.
The handheld ultrasound is built for a busy clinical environment. Its relatively small size allowed for rapid access and use. The device functions were very intuitive, and I found I was able to use the colour functions and adjust the depth and gain easily. Although the screen is small, I found that the images captured were of good quality and aided me in my clinical diagnosis.
Although great for clinical use in urgent care settings, I do not think the handheld ultrasound is ideal for clinical teaching. The larger portable machines have a screen size that is more suitable for teaching small groups. Also, I feel that trainees may need to have a few sessions with larger ultrasound machines before attempting to capture images with a handheld device.
All in all, I was quite impressed with the handheld machine, and I would definitely use one again if it was available.
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