The portable Doppler: practical applications in EMS care

The practical application of a new, commercially available, portable Doppler ultrasound device to the operation of a busy city-county emergency department and ambulance service was investigated. An initial evaluation using healthy volunteers confirmed accuracy and reproducibility of the Doppler blood pressure readings comparable to that of auscultatory and palpatory measurement. In selected patients, the Doppler readings correlated well with readings from patients who had intra-arterial lines. When used in several low flow states, such as testing adequacy of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and verification of electromechanical dissociation, the Doppler aided the clinical evaluation and treatment in many cases where traditional methods were useless. The Doppler was also helpful in the evaluation of local arterial injury but this unit was not found sensitive enough for venous disease. Finally, the Doppler enhanced the obtaining of vital signs in the noisy environment of our ambulances.