How To Outfit Ambulances With Digital X-Ray Machines
Ambulances are designed to carry one injured passenger on a gurney with tons of medical supplies. Yet, would it not be useful to your emergency ambulance company if you could also have a digital x-ray machine inside each of your ambulances? If you could do that, your ambulance service would be a cut above your competitors. Here is how you can outfit your ambulances with digital x-ray machines.
The Overhead Option
There are overhead digital x-ray machines on swing arms. These compact machines allow you to view the body in real time while taking an x-ray of what you see. When the overhead x-ray machines are installed in the roof of the ambulances, you do not have to worry about moving the machines out of the way in order to fit the gurney inside. If your ambulances are smaller than some of the others on the road, then the overhead option is the way to go.
The Portable Option on Wheels
Portable digital x-ray machines are on wheels. They can easily be moved about the bay of the ambulance, and just sneak past the gurney. (The only exception is when you have an oversized patient; then you may have to remove the x-ray machine to transport the patient.)
If you are concerned about storage for medical supplies, many of these portable rolling models also have storage drawers. This might be a good time to reveal that you could remove some of the supply storage cabinets in the back of the ambulance to utilize the storage drawers in the portable digital x-ray machine's cart, thus creating more room for the x-ray machine while still maintaining storage space for medical supplies.
Choosing an Option for Your Ambulances
A lot of EMTs like the overhead option because A) it keeps the x-ray machine out of the way, and B) it places the x-ray machine right where the EMTs need it -- over the patient's body. Although most EMTs are not radiology assistants, they can still be trained in how to take an x-ray of a patient while the ambulance is en route to the hospital. The x-rays can either be sent on ahead to the hospital via a secure transmission to the emergency room, or the x-rays can be printed on the ambulance and laid on top of the patient's chest as he/she is rolled into the emergency room. Many of the same tasks can be accomplished with the cart model, but your ambulances need the extra room to hold the cart.
For more information, contact a company like VXS Imaging.
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