Ultrasound To Treat Internal Bleeding

[Coheed1121]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5106598.stm

Here are some quotes from this article:

'The device would first use ultrasound imaging technology, in particular "Doppler ultrasound", to locate internal bleeding. This employs a physical phenomenon known as the Doppler effect to look for a characteristic signature of bleeding vessels.

It would then deliver a focused beam of high-powered ultrasound to those sites in order to cauterise the damaged vessels. '

"This is a pretty serious effort. These groups are working on making this an autonomous system that any soldier, or first responder, could use in an emergency," said Lawrence Crum, a member of the team headed by Philips and an engineering research professor at the University of Washington, Seattle.

'Ultrasound stops bleeding partly by heating the damaged area and partly through mechanical effects.

The heating produced when this energy is absorbed prompts an insoluble protein called fibrin to precipitate from blood, forming a network of fibres that promotes clotting and plugs the wound. Heating also denatures the blood vessel's connective tissue (collagen) which helps form mechanical plugs and thermally "welds" tissue.

One mechanical effect is called streaming; the high intensity beam pushes blood away from the injury, either back into the vessel itself or to the sides.

In addition, the pressure changes induced by ultrasound lead to the formation of bubbles in the blood - an effect known as cavitation. This in turn may lead to the formation of free radicals - highly reactive charged molecules - which accelerate the clotting process. '

I just wanted to know what some of you thought of this and whether or not you think it would be practical in a prehospital setting. I bring this up because i just brought in my first case of definite internal bleeding and wanted to know if there were any treatments other than invasive surgery?

[AZCEP]

Interesting idea, but from the description provided there are too many problems that would be caused.

"Welding" tissue together? What happens when the healing process ends? Where does the "weld" go?

Creating cavitation in the blood stream? How much free air are we willing to send back to the heart?

Too many issues as it stands.