Washington, Nov 9 (Inditop.com) Researchers have developed a device that could become a godsend for paramedics and may help save many lives in disaster zones.
The very first task of paramedics at the site of a terror attack or a collision is to assess who needs immediate care.
But blood haemorrhaging can obscure damage, and the gruesome mess means paramedics can’t always determine who should be treated first.
‘LifeFlow,’ a technology being developed by Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers is based on a cutting-edge algorithm which, when applied to a computer-controlled I.V. drip, can accurately assess how much blood the victim has been left with.
The device then administers the proper amount and type of I.V. fluid, permitting the paramedic to move on to the next disaster victim with fewer worries – and more confidence that the first victim will remain stable before arriving at the emergency room.
“It’s practically impossible for a well-trained paramedic to assess an individual’s loss of blood, especially at a scene where there are already mass casualties,” says Ofer Barnea, professor at the TAU department of biomedical engineering.
“When paramedics approach a disaster scene, they have little to no idea how much blood a person has lost. But this can be a big medical mistake, since fluid overload can have a grave outcome,” adds Barnea.
It’s good for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it’s good for hospitals in developing nations,” says Barnea, “especially when you have to take care of a lot of wounded people at once.”
