Rialto Fire highlights prehospital ultrasound trial, says field scans are informing care
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Summary
Rialto Fire presented preliminary results from a prehospital ultrasound clinical study that staff say has produced field diagnostic images used to guide treatments; the department also said it hopes to expand to prehospital blood transfusions in the future.
Rialto Fire officials told the City Council on Feb. 10 that a clinical study using handheld ultrasound devices in the field has yielded images that directly affected patient care and hospital handoffs.
Chief Chris Jensen introduced Emergency Services Coordinator Kevin Dearden and Dr. Michael Nieke, the department’s medical director, who presented the program’s early findings. "Our preliminary data actually shows that we are 90% accurate in the field with the EMS using the ultrasound devices," Dr. Nieke said, describing comparisons of the department’s results with military field data published in the Military Medicine journal.
Council members heard that paramedics are using point-of-care ultrasound to assess traumatic injuries to the abdomen and chest and cardiac arrest cases. According to presenters, images captured by Rialto paramedics helped hospital teams prepare specialized interventions sooner and supported faster treatment decisions upon patient arrival.
Dr. Nieke also outlined a potential next step for the program: the ability to carry and transfuse blood products in the prehospital setting. "Beside the ultrasound, we're gonna move on to having a blood product to be able to transfuse in pre hospital to save more lives," he said, framing it as a future technology under consideration.
City officials praised the department’s innovation and emphasized that the program involves medical direction and regional collaborations. Chief Jensen noted the department’s participation in clinical trials and the role of the department’s EMS leadership in evaluating new technologies.
The presentation did not include a detailed breakdown of methods or the raw data underlying the 90% figure; Dr. Nieke described the finding as preliminary and referenced a published comparison in Military Medicine. Council did not take formal action on the presentation but thanked the fire department for pursuing innovations intended to improve patient outcomes.
Council members and staff indicated interest in continuing to monitor results and any required policy or protocol changes if the department pursues prehospital blood transfusions.
The council moved on to its regular agenda following the presentation.
