When an individual meets an accident, the biological capacity of the human body sets off a timer. As per the severity of the injury or health conditions, medical professionals have a limited time to set things right. Hospital beds with a high level of occupancy are an important indicator of a health system under pressure

For example, when the brain does not receive oxygen, permanent brain damage begins only after 4 minutes. After 6 minutes, the patient can die. Similarly, untreated bleeding in the skull can cause death within 24 hours.

Given this, researchers and biomedical engineers are working ceaselessly to upgrade medical technology. So, in case of a very short deadline given by the body, the medical professionals are capable of dealing with it effectively and saving the patient.

For that very reason, we expect to see several developments in emergency medicine soon. And to help you get an insight into the scope of these developments, here are a few examples!

Propagation of Hospital to Patient Approach 

Emergency healthcare services have existed for a long, long time. Be it in the form of rushing a person with a third-degree burn to the hospital or providing immediate care to a dyspnea patient. However, emergency medical services received official recognition only in the 1960s when several cars met an accident on the newly built American highways.

 Now, two forms of emergency care surfaced:

• On the Scene Treatment: 

In this, medical doctors treat the patient on the site of the accident with the assistance of paramedics. It’s the form that became common in European countries.

• Emergency Room Treatment:

Patients get immediately moved to a fully equipped emergency room (in hospitals) for treatment purposes. It’s the form became common in the Anglo-American region.

 Although the world uses both these models in the present day, we see that a hybrid is becoming common, i.e., smart healthcare. It refers to the immediate treatment of the patient regardless of their location. Be it in their homes, outside, or in the hospitals, they get access to complete professional medical help. Hence, in a way, hospital to patient approach is becoming increasingly common. 

Artificial Intelligence for Management

Artificial Intelligence has been making a significant impact on all aspects of life. From trade to agriculture, Artificial Intelligence is getting used on all levels. And, now, it has stepped into emergency medicine too.

Several healthcare agencies have adopted the usage of Artificial Intelligence for logistics and capacity allocation. They are benefiting from A.I. (artificial intelligence) on a day-to-day basis. 

This advanced technology enables them to identify the possibilities of accidents and dispatch the paramedics earlier. It makes coordination swifter and simpler. 

Also, through it, the healthcare department can cater to the massive number of patients when an emergency strikes.

Portable Point-of-Care 

In an emergency, when the patient is rapidly running out of time, transporting him to the hospital, setting up the ultrasound machine, and then performing the whole imaging process wastes a lot of time. At times, some patients lose their life due to this wastage of time.  

To address this issue, scientists and engineers are working on smaller versions of diagnostic devices that are usable on-the-spot and are as accurate as of the original machines. The POCUS device is an excellent example of such a development.

POCUS, short for Point of Care Ultrasound Device, enables emergency physicians to determine yes or no imaging questions, such as whether there’s internal abdominal bleeding or not. Similarly, the I-STAT blood testing system is becoming increasingly available in emergency departments. It eradicates the hassle of carrying blood samples to and from clinical labs. Instead, physicians can access the patient’s blood composition through non-invasive methods and the EMR wirelessly.

Today, CT scanners have also taken a portable form, and one can bring them to the bedside of a patient for scanning. All in all, physicians can now carry the entire emergency medical equipment in their briefcase only.

Emergency Care Apps 

There are numerous applications that have helped emergency care services become better. While 80% of the medicinal errors occur due to miscommunication, these applications strive to eliminate this factor. Some example includes:

1) Pulsara is an application that alerts medical staff about the arrival of the patient beforehand. It does so by calculating the distance by the GPS or the on-site images shared by the users. It allows the team to prepare and treat the patient quickly.

2) If time is of immense essence, people can perform on-spot CPR. Swiz City, a Hungary app, alerts volunteer users of any street resuscitation event. It does so within 500 meters of the location. Thus, increasing the numbers of successful CPRs. 

3) Full Code Pro is a real-time CPR tracking tool. It allows paramedics to document the procedures without having to compromise on the speed of work. The application collects and documents the entire data for reviewing later.

Medical Drones  

Drones are quite beneficial in conducting aerial surveys and transporting goods. In emergency services, the drones can get used for carrying vaccines and medical supplies from one place to another. With no traffic, drones can reach the destination faster. Hence, enabling the hospitals and paramedics to access supplies in no time.

Smart Ambulances 

Did you know approximately 3.6-million people miss their appointments due to inefficient transportation? However, today, excellent transport services have resolved the issue. 

Uber, Lyft, Circulation, Kaizen Health, Veyo, and many similar transport-oriented applications allow a secure and reliable manner.

Moreover, smart and driverless ambulances are becoming more of a reality these days. These advanced ambulances, equipped with technology, are tough enough to resist vehicle damage. Hence, making the patients inside absolutely safe. 

Although these driverless ambulances are not capable of handling severe cases, they can pick less severe patients and transport to the nearest hospital. Hence, allowing the paramedics to concentrate more on intense emergency cases.

Remote Consultation 

 The remote consultation refers to online medical check-ups. After the pandemic, several hospitals have introduced this feature for non-Covid patients. Doctors communicate with the patients either through audio or video. Hence, allowing the people to access healthcare professionals from the comfort of home.