More News
In medicine, a quick diagnosis can save a life. Ultrasound imaging is a critical diagnostic tool for doctors and first responders, especially in Ukraine, where deadly bombs cause injuries far too often.
“Over the past month, we have transported children several times from a city that is under artillery and rocket fire every day,” says Aleksij Obolonskij, a pediatric anesthesiologist who works in the pediatric intensive care unit of a regional medical center for family health in south central Ukraine.
“I remember one boy, 4 years old, who suffered from an abdominal injury and had signs of shock. With the help of a Butterfly iQ ultrasound, we were able to diagnose internal bleeding in time, and the child, who had a ruptured liver capsule, was urgently taken to the operating room. The child’s life was saved.”Dr. Obolonskij
“I remember one boy, 4 years old, who suffered from an abdominal injury and had signs of shock. With the help of a Butterfly iQ ultrasound, we were able to diagnose internal bleeding in time, and the child, who had a ruptured liver capsule, was urgently taken to the operating room. The child’s life was saved.”
With its Polish partner the Institute of Emergency Medicine, Americares provided handheld Butterfly iQ ultrasound probes to 15 hospitals in Ukraine, including the regional hospital where Obolonskij works. The ultrasound devices are small and mobile so clinicians can make diagnoses nearly anywhere – even in an ambulance – which is extremely useful when communities are under attack.
“This equipment came to the rescue in a timely manner,“ says Obolonskij. “Before we received the Butterfly iQ ultrasound, we only performed ultrasound examinations in the regional hospital’s intensive care unit. Now we have the opportunity to conduct examinations routinely in the reception department and in all cities of the region from which we transport a child.”
The regional medical center specializes in children’s health and transports 25 to 30 newborns to its intensive care perinatal center each month. Patients come from across three regions, where hostilities are ongoing. During emergencies, including bombing and rocket attacks, the hospital uses the Butterfly ultrasound to diagnose as many as 100 patients a day. “We use the Butterfly ultrasounds routinely every single day,” says Obolonsky. With 15 Butterfly ultrasounds in use across the region, as many as 1,500 patients a day benefit from this donation.
Recent News
September 20, 2023
September 28, 2022: “I looked down the street and saw this big black thing coming — it was literally a wall of water,” says Jo, a retired nurse who lives in Cape Coral, Florida. Minutes later, the filthy storm surge from Hurricane Ian swept into her home, swirling around her ankles, and Jo ran through the flood to safety at her neighbor’s elevated house.
September 19, 2023
Americares and the Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE), today announced health clinics in Arizona, Florida and Louisiana will pilot a program to protect the most vulnerable patients from the health impacts of climate change, including extreme heat.
September 14, 2023
Americares is training more than 350 school teachers, social workers, counselors, psychologists and administrative staff to better identify, assess and respond to the mental health needs of students dealing with the psychological effects caused by major storms. The Americares Mental Health and Psychosocial Support team based in San Juan began the trainings in five schools across Bayamón, Morovis, Naranjito, Orocovis and Toa Alta.
September 13, 2023
Stamford, Conn. – Sept. 13, 2023 – Americares and Quest Diagnostics, with the Quest Diagnostics Foundation, are teaming up to provide no-cost diagnostic services and expanded telehealth services to free and charitable clinics across the United States to reduce health disparities in underserved communities.