Point-of-care ultrasound can help save lives in general practise

Dr Helen Williams has been using ultrasound as part of her routine practice since 1999.

The portability and ease of use of point-of-care ultrasound systems mean that they are increasingly being used outside the traditional hospital setting, according to SonoSite, with a number of general practitioners training to use ultrasound for a wide range of applications.

Dr Helen Williams, who divides her time between general practice and the urgent care centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, explained: “I first became interested in ultrasound in 1999, when I was working in a termination of pregnancy clinic and picked up an ectopic pregnancy during a routine dating scan.  That case made me realise that ultrasound has so many potential applications, so I purchased a small portable machine for use in my general practice.”  Dr Williams has since used the ultrasound in a variety of settings, in primary care and in hospitals, and currently has a SonoSite Edge system which travels everywhere with her.

See the full report on page 20 of the January 2016 issue of RAD Magazine.