Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre (MMHRC) here has acquired an advanced ultrasound equipment. Speaking at a one-day workshop on ‘Critical Care and Pain Medicine’ here on Sunday, Sundaram Ram, Senior Consultant Anaesthetist, UK, said the equipment was designed for easy use in anaesthesia administration, emergency and critical care. It could accurately locate the regional blockage and the main blood vessels, especially during limb surgeries.
Earlier, the blind needle technique known as paresthesia was adopted to locate the vein. It was painful and had its own disadvantages since there was a chance of blood vessel puncture which could be avoided with the help of ultrasound, said Dr. D. Kannan, workshop coordinator.
“When the nerve stimulation procedure was followed to identify the right nerve, it involved higher chances of toxicity where around 30 ml of local anaesthetic drug was administered to patients. In such cases they developed complications,” he added.
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The new machine had replaced the procedure and also reduced the volume of anaesthesia medication administered to patients, the doctors pointed out.
“We are among the few hospitals to have the advanced facility,” said S. Lakshmi, Head, Department of Anaesthesiology, MMHRC.