Battling fire and ice: remote guidance ultrasound to diagnose injury on the International Space Station and the ice rink.
BACKGROUND
National Aeronautical and Space and Administration (NASA) researchers have optimized training methods that allow minimally trained, non-physician operators to obtain diagnostic ultrasound (US) images for medical diagnosis including musculoskeletal injury. We hypothesize that these techniques could be expanded to non-expert operators including National Hockey League (NHL) and Olympic athletic trainers to diagnose musculoskeletal injuries in athletes.


METHODS
NHL and Olympic athletic trainers received a brief course on musculoskeletal US. Remote guidance musculoskeletal examinations were conducted by athletic trainers, consisting of hockey groin hernia, knee, ankle, elbow, or shoulder evaluations. US images were transmitted to remote experts for interpretation.


RESULTS
Groin, knee, ankle, elbow, or shoulder images were obtained on 32 athletes; all real-time US video stream and still capture images were considered adequate for diagnostic interpretation.


CONCLUSIONS
This experience suggests that US can be expanded for use in locations without a high level of on-site expertise. A non-physician with minimal training can perform complex, diagnostic-quality examinations when directed by a remote-based expert.
Kwon
David
D
Henry Ford Health System, Department of Surgery, Detroit, MI, USA.
Bouffard
J Antonio
JA
van Holsbeeck
Marnix
M
Sargsyan
Asot E
AE
Hamilton
Douglas R
DR
Melton
Shannon L
SL
Dulchavsky
Scott A
SA
D000337:Aerospace Medicine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D012861:Skating / Q000293:injuries; D013178:Sports Medicine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*