Portable Ultrasound

Imagine you suddenly developed severe abdominal pain that just wouldn’t go away…what would you do? For most of us, we would get ourselves to the nearest Emergency Department to be diagnosed.

Sudden, severe pain through the torso, along with low blood pressure, can be an indication of an abdominal aortic aneurysm in seniors. This occurs when part of the main artery wall has weakened, making it widen abnormally.

A sudden onset of these symptoms can mean the aneurysm is at risk for rupture.

When you arrive in the Emergency Department at Georgian Bay General Hospital, we will work quickly to diagnose and assess your condition. Quick diagnosis of an aneurysm is critical, as the success rate of reparative surgery is much higher if performed prior to a rupture.

We rely on a portable ultrasound to make this critical diagnosis at the bedside.

This non-invasive scan allows your physician to determine the size of the aneurysm, which is vital information as larger aneurysms have a higher risk for rupture.

The portable ultrasound unit that we use in the Emergency Department at GBGH needs to be replaced so we can continue to provide fast, accurate diagnosis at the bedside. We use this tool at least 5 times every day—more than 1,800 times each year!

The portable ultrasound is used for more than just aortic aneurysms. The images captured with this simple, radiation-free technology provide us with a wealth of information about internal organs, tissues and vessels. We use it to identify gall stones, retinal detachment, water in the lungs, congestive heart failure, inflammation in the joints or around the organs, skin infections or abscesses, ectopic pregnancies and blood clots. It also plays a critical role in assessing someone who has been involved in a serious trauma, identifying internal bleeding without having to transfer the patient to our imaging
department.

We cannot provide exceptional care without it.

A new portable ultrasound unit will cost $70,000. We need your help to bring this updated technology to Georgian Bay General Hospital. Our Hospital receives no government funding to update or buy new equipment, so the responsibility is on our community to fund all the tools and technology we require for patient care.

Your generosity today will help save lives. You will help ensure patients who come into our emergency department continue to get fast, efficient diagnosis and assessment.