Treating with technology
By Erica Hill
CNN Headline News
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(CNN) -- The "Hot Wired" crew is lucky enough to play with some amazing new technology. Lately, the devices coming through the studio doors have a lot to do with the war in Iraq.
Take, for instance, the ChemBio Decision Aid software and the Medical Reachback kit developed by the Center for Emergency Response Technology, Instruction, and Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
These are tools for first responders -- firefighters, police officers, HazMat teams -- who do not have a medical background.
The ChemBio Decision Aid software runs on Pocket PC-powered handhelds -- in this case, a Compaq iPaq. Should a first responder arriving on the scene of an emergency suspect there's evidence of a chemical attack, he or she could diagnose a person's symptoms using the software.
The program asks for basic information -- sex, age, weight -- and basic symptoms: How is the person is breathing? Is he or she sweating? Are the pupils dilated?
Based on this information, ChemBio Decision Aid offers up possible scenarios and treatments.
The iPaq also has a wireless modem and GPS capabilities, allowing this information to be sent back to the command post in real time, and other data to be transmitted to those on the scene. Floor plans and pictures can be sent, for example, while GPS helps those outside the building keep track of crews on the scene.
The ChemBio Decision Aid is currently being used on a pilot basis by Atlanta-area Fire Departments.
The Medical Reachback is a portable kit that includes a wearable computer, a webcam, and medical instruments and can be used with the ChemBio Decision Aid software. The components of the kit are connected via a wireless network that emergency response personnel can use to transmit data about possible chemical attack victims to off-scene medical professionals for further diagnosis and treatment instructions.
Dr. Tom Bevan, director of the Center for Emergency Response Technology, Instruction, and Policy, said there are very few doctors in the world who have treated patients for chemical or biological agents. This scenario would allow those doctors to weigh in on the diagnosis and treatment over a secure, real-time Internet connection.
The entire kit, as it is assembled now, carries a price tag of between $2,500 and $3,000 dollars. However, Bevan notes the center bought all of the components for the kit at regular retail prices. He says the Reachback could be less expensive, if equipment were purchased in bulk or directly form the manufacturer.
When will the Reachback make it into the field? According to Bevan, it's possible it could be on the scene within the year.
