Article Tags: point-of-care ultrasound

Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Blocks for Flexor Tenosynovitis

John M. Bowling, Erick Zoumberakis – Performing an ultrasound-guided nerve block (UGNB) is now common practice in many emergency departments (EDs) and is considered a core skill according to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). Nerve blocks are mostly utilized for fractures and laceration repairs, however, these blocks have many other applications. We present a case of utilizing an ulnar UGNB in a patient with flexor tenosynovitis and a history of intravenous drug use (IVDU) when parental opiates proved to be ineffective.

Survey on Cardiologists’ Perspectives on Cardiac Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Linda Liu, Christine Chow, Cooper Kersey, Brandon Wiley, Jonathan R. Lindner, Andrew M. Pattock, Carlos L. Alviar, Sula Mazimbag, Yoonsik Cho, Kavita Khaira, James N. Kirkpatrick, Younghoon Kwon – Cardiac point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has been used with increasing frequency. As a result of this trend, this study sought to characterize cardiologists’ perspectives on cardiac POCUS. Methods: An 18-question survey on demographics, cardiac POCUS clinical practice, education, and infrastructure was distributed by 16 academic medical centers.

Implementation and Assessment of a Curriculum for Renal Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Training

Yoshiko Ishisaka, Hong Yu Wang, Hayato Mitaka, Elliot  Charen, Paru Patrawalla – Renal ultrasound is a non-invasive method to assess for obstructive acute kidney injury (AKI). Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has been shown to be a good screening tool for obstructive AKI, and with formal training, has high sensitivity and specificity. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of integrating a novel renal POCUS curriculum into an existing two-week nephrology rotation for internal medicine residents.

A Case of Pediatric Sternal Fracture Diagnosed by POCUS

Takaaki Mori, MD, MRCPCH, MSc; Sung Shin Teng, MBBS, MRCPCH, FAMS – A previously healthy, 4-year-old boy visited our emergency department due to chest pain after a fall from a skate scooter. Physical examination revealed tenderness over the sternal body. Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) of the sternum demonstrated a discontinuation of a hyperechoic structure of the sternal cortex, suggesting a sternal fracture.

Delayed Iatrogenic Bladder Rupture Diagnosed by POCUS in the Emergency Department

Helen J. Lu, MD; Edward H. Lee, MD; Stephen Alerhand, MD – Bladder rupture is an uncommon injury that leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Though occurring mostly due to trauma, this life-threatening pathology may also occur spontaneously or after a procedure such as transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). Computed tomography (CT) cystography is the standard imaging modality for diagnosis. However, this test is unlikely to be ordered in a patient with undifferentiated abdominal pain unless there is specific suspicion for this diagnosis.

Intrauterine Pregnancy Detection and Gestational Age Assessment During Early Pregnancy by a Handheld Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Device Compared to a High-End Ultrasound System. An Accuracy and Reliability Study

Mariela Skendi , MD, MSc; Roxane Liard , MD, MSc; Charlotte Besacier , MD; Jean-Michel Correas , MD, PhD; Sohela Moussaoui , MD, MSc; Julie Chastang , MD, MSc; Gladys Ibanez , MD, PhD – The main objective of this study is the evaluation of the accuracy and reliability of a handheld point of care ultrasound device (POCUS-hd) for intrauterine pregnancy (IUP) detection compared to comprehensive reference transabdominal ultrasound (TU).

Integrating Point of Care Ultrasound into Nephrology Fellowship Training: Insights from a Pilot Program

Ann Young, MD PhD; Benoit Imbeault, MD; Alberto Goffi, MD; Alireza Zahirieh, MD; Claire Kennedy, MD; Daniel Blum, MDCM; Ron Wald, MDCM MPH; William Beaubien-Souligny, MD PhD – In nephrology, point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has multiple applications including the rapid evaluation of acute kidney injury, enhancing the initial evaluation of chronic kidney disease, direct evaluation of vascular access, and improved fluid balance management in acute and chronic settings. Recently, the role of POCUS has been formally acknowledged by the American College of Physicians and curricula specific to nephrology have been proposed.

Postpartum reverse-Takotsubo from pheochromocytoma diagnosed by bedside point-of-care ultrasound: A case report

Jordan K. Leitch, MD, FRCPC; Anthony M.-H. Ho, MD, FRCPC, FCCP; Rene Allard, MD, FRCPC; Glenio B. Mizubuti, MD, MSc – Point-of-care ultrasound is invaluable in the setting of obstetric anesthesia, where the differential diagnosis for dyspnea, hypoxemia and/or hemodynamic abnormalities is broad. This report describes a previously apparently healthy parturient with an uncomplicated pregnancy at 35-weeks gestation who underwent an emergency cesarean section under general anesthesia due to severe acute abdominal pain and fetal bradycardia.

Developing and Evaluating a Remote Quality Assurance System for Point-of-Care Ultrasound for an Internal Medicine Residency Global Health Track

Steven Fox, MD; Michelle Fleshner, MD MPH; Collin Flanagan, DO; Thomas Robertson, MD; Ayako Wendy Fujita, MD; Divya Bhamidipati, MD; Abdulrahman Sindi, MD; Raghunandan Purushothaman, MD; Thuy Bui, MD – A quality assurance system is vital when using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to ensure safe and effective ultrasound use. There are many barriers to implementing a quality assurance system including need for costly software, faculty time, and extra work to log images.