Article Categories: POCUS Protocol

Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Blocks: Suggested Procedural Guidelines for Emergency Physicians

Joseph R. Brown, MD; Andrew J. Goldsmith, MD, MBA; Alexis LaPietra DO, FACEP; Jose L. Zeballos, MD; Kamen V. Vlassakov, MD; Alexander B. Stone, MD; R. Starr Knight, MD; Jennifer Carnell, MD; Arun Nagdev, MD – Acute pain is one of the most frequent, and yet one of the most challenging, complaints physicians encounter in the emergency department (ED). Currently, opioids are one of several pain medications given for acute pain, but given the long-term side effects and potential for abuse, alternative pain regimens are sought.

The Focused Assessment with Sonography in Cancer (FASC) Examination

Peter C. Nauka; MD; Benjamin T. Galen, MD – Malignant effusions occur frequently in patients with cancer and are important to diagnose and treat. In this report, we describe a novel point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) protocol to rapidly identify pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, and ascites: The Focused Assessment with Sonography in Cancer (FASC). This protocol utilizes six standard sonographic positions to identify the presence of fluid in common anatomic spaces. The FASC examination is intended for widespread use by oncologists and other clinicians who treat patients with cancer.