BellevilleGeneral HospitalFoundation

The Need is Urgent! Help Save a Life.

In the ICU we are a team of physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and others, specially trained in the care of critically ill or injured patients. Today, I’m asking you to become part of that team by making a donation to help us buy three vitally important pieces of life-saving equipment. If you do, every time we use the equipment you will be there in spirit; it will be as if you are at the bedside with us.

The item we need most urgently is a portable ultrasound. Most people still think of ultrasound as being used to see unborn babies, but it has many other uses in medicine, and in the ICU an ultrasound can literally make the difference between life and death.

Almost all critically ill patients require large IVs to be inserted into major veins in the neck or groin to deliver life saving medication that is too strong for the tiny veins in the arm or leg. Without an ultrasound to guide us, we have no choice but to make an educated guess as to where to place the IV needle. In some cases it takes many tries to finally find the vein, and sometimes we just can’t do it in time. With the ultrasound we can see the anatomy on the portable screen and guide the needle right into the vein, literally watching it penetrate the vessel wall. I can tell you, when I need to place a needle into such a large vein deep within a person, I want to see what I’m doing.

Right now when we need an ultrasound we have to try to borrow one from another Department and this adds significant delays in treatment, and if it is already in use, we, and the patient, are out of luck.

If we can buy an ultrasound for ICU, I can assure you, it will be used the very day it arrives, probably the hour it arrives. The need is that urgent. And should we be so fortunate to get one of these vital pieces of equipment, a number of the physicians are planning to take advanced training in procedures on the ultrasound, so the level of care will increase even more.

The other items we need are two defibrillators and a computerized drug dispenser that ensures patients receive the proper life saving medications quickly, rather than waiting for the drugs to arrive from the pharmacy. Together, the four pieces cost $131,000. Will you please help us by making a donation today?

I don’t want to suggest an amount you might donate – only you can decide that. I’ll just ask that you be as generous as you can be. Whatever you give will be appreciated and you will be part of the ICU team, there with us in spirit every time we use this equipment and especially when it helps to save a life.