Hospice ultrasound availability enabling out of hospital paracentesis during the first covid lockdow
7th November 2022
HOSPICE ULTRASOUND AVAILABILITY ENABLING OUT OF HOSPITAL PARACENTESIS DURING THE FIRST COVID LOCKDOWN. A REVIEW OF PARACENTESIS ACHIEVED AND THEIR SONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCES.
Like many other hospitals in the UK, the NHS trust local to Saint Francis Hospice (SFH) became overwhelmed with Covid patients during the first lockdown (April to June 2020). The Trust struggled to access a hospital bed for people with advanced disease requiring paracentesis, and getting a permanent drain was difficult. The use of ultrasound in hospices has grown in recent years; its usefulness in hospice paracentesis is well documented. Knowing that SFH had access to ultrasound gave oncology and cardiac colleagues confidence to offer the hospice as an alternative.
