Use of Ultrasound for Pre-hospital Care in Saudi Arabia: A National Survey

Authors

  • Lujain Arafsha Emergency department, King Abdullah Medical City, Saudi Arabia
  • Nizar Ahmed Bakhashwain King Abdulaziz University - Faculty of medicine, Saudi Arabia.
  • Wejdan Essam Rahali Umm Al-Qura University - College of Medicine, Saudi Arabia.
  • Sultan Alshali King Abdulaziz University Medical School, Saudi Arabia.
  • Sohil Khaleel Saddiqi Umm Al-Qura University- College of Applied Medical Sciences, Saudi Arabia.
  • Lama Sameer Maksood Umm Al-Qura University- College of Medicine, Saudi Arabia.
  • Abdullah R. Alharbi College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52609/jmlph.v2i3.54

Keywords:

imaging, emergency care, prehospital , Ultrasonography, Diagnostic Imaging

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The use of pre-hospital ultrasound (U/S) in Saudi Arabia requires further elucidation.

AIM

We aim to assess the use of pre-hospital ultrasound, as well as its barriers and enablers, among emergency medical services (EMS) providers in Saudi Arabia.

METHOD

This is a cross-sectional observational study, based on a self-administered questionnaire distributed to emergency services personnel in Saudi Arabia between May and August 2022.

RESULT

420 EMS providers responded to this survey. 55.5% (n=233) of them had a positive attitude towards using ultrasound in their practice, although about 81% (n=341) had no ultrasound training. Barriers to the implementation of ultrasound included the need for training, difficulty using ultrasound in an ambulance, case overload, and shortage of personnel, among others.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that emergency care providers have a positive attitude towards the use of ultrasound in the pre-hospital setting. Saudi Arabian EMS should invest in training, raising awareness, and establishing or strengthening existing regulations in this regard.

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Published

2022-09-01

How to Cite

Arafsha, L., Bakhashwain, N. A., Rahali, W. E., Alshali, S., Saddiqi, S. K., Maksood, L. S., & Alharbi, A. R. (2022). Use of Ultrasound for Pre-hospital Care in Saudi Arabia: A National Survey. The Journal of Medicine, Law & Public Health, 2(3), 143–151. https://doi.org/10.52609/jmlph.v2i3.54

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 3 (2022): Sept-Dec

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Lujain Arafsha, Nizar Ahmed Bakhashwain, Wejdan Essam Rahali, Sultan Alshali, Sohil Khaleel Saddiqi, Lama Sameer Maksood, Abdullah R. Alharbi

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.