DRF Luftrettung, which operates 50 helicopters for emergency rescue and intensive care transport between hospitals, reports a successful first sonography course for Luxembourg's emergency physicians.

Dr. Philippe Welter, vp of the Luxembourg anaesthetics association Cercle des Médecins Anesthésistes et Réanimateurs du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg (CMARL), says: "Mobile ultrasound can simplify the diagnosis of seriously injured patients at the scene of the accident and can be crucial when it comes to the selection of the destination clinic. Our emergency physicians were able to profit from the long-term experience of DRF Luftrettung training the P-Fast (pre-hospital focused abdominal sonography in trauma) method."

Welter says the result was that around 80 per cent of the emergency physicians working in Luxembourg were trained on the use of the mobile sonography device Primedic HandyScan. In total 38 emergency physicians participated in both one-day pre-hospital ultrasound courses at the clinic in Kirchberg.

Welter explains: "With the aid of this portable unit, emergency physicians at, for example, a serious accident, can ascertain on the spot if a patient has internal bleeding."