A $25,000 donation from the TB Vets Foundation has allowed Kelowna General Hospital to purchase a new, portable device for treating respiratory patients.
The SonoSite Ultrasound is able to detect fluid collections and cysts in a patient’s lungs, and determine where chest tubes need to be inserted, as well as when they can be taken out.
“Ultrasound imaging allows respirologists and respiratory therapists to identify and make accurate diagnosis at patients’ bedside,” says Bob Somerville, Clinical Supervisor of Respiratory Therapy at KGH. “This advanced diagnostic tool will promote safe and efficient care in the Respiratory Therapy Department for years to come.”
In 2016, 2,500 respiratory surgery patients were treated at KGH, many of which needed ultrasounds. With current volumes, KGH expects to conduct an average of 1,800 ultrasounds every year, or 5 every day.
In the last 20 years, TB Vets has given nearly $300,000 to KGH to fund advances in respiratory care.