Delta Hospital's ER is Equipment-Ready, Thanks to TB Vets Donors

Medical staff at Delta Hospital’s Emergency Department are thankful to TB Vets donors for their newly acquired respiratory equipment. The advanced device helps view a patient’s airway effectively with its unique video technology.

Referred to as a “GlideScope”, the equipment is used for intubating patients in critical situations where every second counts (i.e. cardiac arrests, traumas, severe asthma, endoscopy, etc.).

Intubation is needed for patients who cannot breathe on their own or have stopped breathing. It may also be used when patients cannot protect their own airway because they are vomiting or aspirating (breathing in foreign objects or fluids) into their lungs.

With the new equipment’s advanced picture-in-picture views, the medical frontline is able to access a direct line of sight to a patient’s airway. A greater field of depth means easier navigation, which is crucial since respiratory therapists and physicians can only make three attempts at intubation the conventional way before carrying out alternative critical strategies.

Intubations during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized Delta Hospital’s need for the GlideScope equipment. The tool allows for physical distancing between patients and physicians, helping reduce viral load and exposure during intubation.

In addition, the pandemic has highlighted the need for immediate access to top-notch resources to help save lives. For a few months last year, the ER team had used the GlideScope of the hospital’s surgical program, when the program was temporarily shut down due to COVID-19. The program had reopened and required their equipment back. Having the TB Vets-funded new equipment on-hand readies the respiratory frontline when and where it matters most.

Delta Hospital serves over 100,000 residents in addition to patients coming from other parts of the Lower Mainland. In 2019, the hospital’s ER had almost 35,000 visits. Delta has a growing and rapidly aging population, considered as one of the oldest in Fraser Health.*

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Delta Hospital’s ER is Equipment-Ready, Thanks to TB Vets Donors

Intubations during COVID-19

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