Country 105 FM’s Caring for Kids Radiothon is underway. The event, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, raises money for vital life-saving equipment at Alberta Children’s Hospital.
A point-of-care ultrasound is one such piece of equipment.
“We can’t get parts for them. (They’re) very hard to maintain and repair when they do break,” said Dr. Adam Spencer referring to the existing ultrasound machines at the hospital. The pediatric anesthesiologist added those machines are nearing their technical lifespan.
Newer ultrasounds allow Dr. Spencer to be more precise when inserting anesthetic into tiny bodies. Clearer images at a surface level can make all the difference when avoiding a potential mistake, which can lead to nerve damage or worse.
“We also can inject local anesthetic into a vessel, which can lead to things like seizures, arrhythmia’s and arrest,” he said.
Ten-year-old Keira Widmer broke her elbow last year and was treated by Dr. Spencer. Ultrasound helped him administer a nerve block catheter near her collar bone.
“We had to move her arm four times a day”, said Keira’s mom, Joanne Widmer.
The nerve block allowed the young girl to recover in the comforts of her home and manage the pain more effectively.
“If we didn’t have the nerve block to help with the pain, we would have had to give her morphine.” Widmer said.
The radiothon continues until Friday, Feb. 3. To date, it’s raised roughly $42 million dollars for Alberta Children’s Hospital.
To Donate tune into Country 105 FM or visit: Country 105 Radiothon – Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation (childrenshospital.ab.ca)