October 18, 2016

State-of-the-Art Portable Anesthesia Ultrasound Means Fewer Needle Pokes for Pregnant Women

Pregnant women will be receiving fewer painful needle pokes in Saskatoon.

A new portable Anesthesia Ultrasound will be used on moms-to-be when IV access is difficult, a common occurrence amongst pregnant women, particularly in those women with a large body size. Inserting an IV without this device subjects patients to unnecessary pain from multiple attempts to place critical IV lines.

The equipment, which cost approximately $33,000, was funded by the Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation (DDCDC) and an equipment grant from the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.

“The specialist Anesthesiologists working on the Maternal Newborn Unit in Saskatoon are very grateful to the Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation and the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan for their generous donation that helped purchase a portable ultrasound machine to improve the care of pregnant women delivering in Saskatoon,” says Dr. David Campbell, Head of Anesthesiology. “The new ultrasound machine provides state-of-the-art capabilities to facilitate the placement of an intravenous in mothers who are often very ill due to significant medical illnesses, which are complicating their pregnancies. This new device reduces the number of needle attempts to establish the intravenous, which is often used to deliver life-saving medications.”

The new machine will help guide medical staff when placing IVs, providing easy visualization of veins not readily apparent on physical examination. The result is fewer needle pokes, quicker procedures time, and much less discomfort for pregnant patients who have difficult IV access. An IV line is one of the most common tools used in medicine today, allowing health care professionals to administer fluids and blood products. While there are several similar machines available in main operating rooms around the Saskatoon Health Region, there were previously none available in maternal operating rooms in Saskatoon.

“Improving patient care for our province’s moms-to-be and children is one of our key priorities,” explains Brynn Boback-Lane, President and CEO of the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan. “This vital piece of equipment brings an important service to pregnant women in Saskatchewan, allowing families to have a better start together.”

As with many current equipment purchases, the portable anesthesia ultrasound machine will be transferred to the new Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan when the doors open in 2019.