North Mid expands ultrasound use

Eddie Lamuren with a SonoSite MicroMaxx system

North Middlesex Hospital has one of the busiest A&E departments in London, treating more than 110,000 patients annually.

Dr Eddie Lamuren, lead consultant in the department, has been keen to expand the use of ultrasound in the unit and, with this in mind, purchased a SonoSite MicroMaxx point-of-care ultrasound system.

He explained: “When our radiology department upgraded its ultrasound system, we inherited a cart-based system for FAST scanning and line placement. However, the size of this machine made bedside scanning impractical, so we decided on a hand-carried system. SonoSite’s instruments were recommended by colleagues and we were impressed by how easy they were to use.”

He said the department uses the system regularly for FAST scans and line placement – all emergency central line placement is ultrasound guided. “The MicroMaxx offers good image contrast, is straightforward to use and boots up quickly.”

See the full report on page 11 of the May 2009 issue of RAD Magazine