• Martina Hermann, Christina Hafner, Vincenz Scharner, Mojca Hribersek, Mathias Maleczek, Andreas Schmid, Eva Schaden, Harald Willschke, and Thomas Hamp.
• Department of Anaesthesia, General Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
• Scand J Trauma Resus. 2022 Mar 24; 30 (1): 23.

BackgroundAlthough prehospital point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is gaining in importance, its rapid interpretation remains challenging in prehospital emergency situations. The technical development of remote real-time supervision potentially offers the possibility to support emergency medicine providers during prehospital emergency ultrasound. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of live data transmission and supervision of prehospital POCUS in an urban environment and so to improve patients' safety.MethodsEmergency doctors with moderate ultrasound experience performed prehospital POCUS in emergency cases (n = 24) such as trauma, acute dyspnea or cardiac shock using the portable ultrasound device Lumify™. The ultrasound examination was remotely transmitted to an emergency ultrasound expert in the clinic for real-time supervision via a secure video and audio connection. Technical feasibility as well as quality of communication and live stream were analysed.ResultsPrehospital POCUS with remote real-time supervision was successfully performed in 17 patients (71%). In 3 cases, the expert was not available on time and in 1 case remote data transmission was not possible due to connection problems. In 3 cases tele-supervision was restricted to video only and no verbal communication was possible via the device itself due to power saving mode of the tablet.ConclusionRemote real-time supervision of prehospital POCUS in an urban environment is feasible most of the time with excellent image and communication quality.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials Number NCT04612816.© 2022. The Author(s).

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