Transport and Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound by a Disaster Medical Assistance Team

Abstract

The role of ultrasound in disaster medicine has not been not well established. This report describes the transport and use of point-of-care ultrasound by a Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) responding to a mass-casualty incident due to a cyclone. Ultrasound-competent physicians on the team were able to use portable ultrasound on cyclone casualties to exclude intra-abdominal hemorrhage, pericardial fluid, pneumothoraces, and hemothoraces. Information obtained using ultrasound made initial patient management, and subsequent decisions regarding triage for transport safer and based on more detailed clinical information.