SonoLectures: Free lecture on Ultrasound in the Critically Ill -by Dr. Cliff Rice (& other free lectures)

Got an email from ACEP and thought it was too good not to share: Hear Dr. Cliff Rice, an ultrasound extraordinaire and emergency physician speak about bedside ultrasound and its use in critical care medicine. At the end of this post are even more lectures that are free. As you will hear, he states “Think about how you would use it in some of our sickest patients that come to the emergency department….. where the differential diagnosis is quite broad, and the treatment for shock might be detrimental if we are wrong.”

As ACEP states in the email: “Practicing emergency physicians need to be able to utilize ultrasound effectively in the evaluation of the critically ill patient. In this free audio recording from the 2012 ACEP Scientific Assembly, Dr. Rice highlights the use of ultrasound to perform a FAST scan, to dynamically monitor and measure the IVC in the setting of hypovolemic shock, and to detect pericardial effusion and perform ultrasound guided pericardiocentesis [in 45 minutes]. This [lecture] explains where you should start scanning, narrows your differential and guides your resuscitation.”

Other free lectures for your viewing/hearing pleasure on bedside ultrasound:

Dr. Chris Fox’s comprehensive emergency ultrasound lectures in iTunes

Dr. Phil Perera comprehensive emergency ultrasound lectures on Sound-Bytes

AIUM UltrasoundFirst lecture series on various ultrasound topics

UltrasoundPodcast with a variety of lectures on bedside ultrasound

UltrasoundVIllage website on a variety of ultrasound topics

Vanderbilt’s excellent lectures library on bedside ultrasound

SonoTutorial: The FAST Part 2b: Left Upper Quadrant – More images that could fool you…

Get ready for some more real cases and, just like the prior post, with images of various sections of the left upper quadrant (as you cannot really have all sections in only one 6 second clip). Just like before, think of what is needed to complete the left upper quadrant view:  read the clinical correlate, see the image, and think about what section of the left upper quadrant view is missing (above the diaphragm, below the diaphragm, between the spleen and superior pole of kidney, between the spleen and inferior pole of kidney, or the paracolic gutter), how the image could be improved, and what the interpretation would be. All are stated below the image as well as the actual diagnosis of that particular patient. And, in case any of the below cases stump you as to why the FAST is negative or why it was done in the first place, recall its indications and…. Don’t forget the FAST limitations.

SonoTutorial: The FAST Part 2a: Left Upper Quadrant – Images that could fool you…

Get ready for some cases!!! The images and clips below will be a great review to see how much of the information from the prior post on how to perform a complete left upper quadrant view of the FAST scan you recall, while keeping FAST limitations in mind. Remember, in order to be complete and thorough you must evaluate above the diaphragm, below the diaphragm, around the spleen and superior pole of the kidney, and around the spleen and inferior pole of the kidney, and along the left paracolic gutter –  through slow, deliberate, and full fanning between multiple rib spaces, and adjusting your depth as needed.

The images will appear with a clinical correlation first which may give you a certain level of suspicion. Think about what part of the LUQ scan is missing (as there is very few times when you can get all of the above areas in just one clip or in just one rib space), how would you improve the evaluation (changing position of probe, fan more widely or slowly, depth or gain (brightness) adjustment, etc), and what your interpretation of that image would be (positive or negative for free fluid – or is the image just too technically limited to make a statement on it?)- all while thinking of your level of suspicion of injury given the clinical correlate.

These are all real cases:

SonoTutorial: The FAST Part 2: Left Upper Quadrant – being right with the left…

No, this isnt a talk about partisan politics (thankfully!), but something that is even more important that you should know and learn well, that could not only change everyone’s life [like politics thinks it does] (by way of how they manage their patients) but also saves a life (by how quickly you help your diagnoses be made). That’s right fellow blogosphere friends. Listen up!

Our SonoTutorial on The FAST: Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ) week was just the beginning of this review on the FAST scan- the most common application done at the bedside at many institutions, and for good reason. It’s used (as a screening study for intraperitoneal free fluid) for any blunt or penetrating chest/abdomen/back trauma as well as the unexplained hypotensive patient (the RUSH exam). The RUQ is the best area to evaluate for free intraperitoneal fluid of all the FAST views, but don’t think you can just do that view and stop there! It is not 100%, and there are enough times for me to see free fluid in the left upper quadrant (LUQ) that was difficult to see in the RUQ that makes it evident that completing the FAST scan is key! The LUQ is, essentially, the not-so-ugly sister to the RUQ.

SonoTutorial: The FAST Part 1b: The Right Upper Quadrant: More images that could fool you

Get ready for some more real cases and, just like the prior post, with images of various sections of the right upper quadrant (as you cannot really have all sections in only one 6 second clip). Just like before, think of what is needed to complete the right upper quadrant view:  read the clinical correlate, see the image, and think about what section of the right upper quadrant view is missing (above the diaphragm, below the diaphragm, between the liver and superior pole of kidney, between the left heptaic edge and inferior pole of kidney at the paracolic gutter), how the image could be improved, and what the interpretation would be. All are stated below the image as well as the actual diagnosis of that particular patient. And, in case any of the below cases stump you as to why the FAST is negative or why it was done in the first place, recall  it’s indications and…. Don’t forget the FAST limitations.

SonoTutorial: The FAST Part 1a: The Right Upper Quadrant: Images That Could Fool You

Now the fun starts! The images and clips below will be a great test to see how much of the information from the prior post on how to perform a complete right upper quadrant view of the FAST scan you recall, while keeping it’s limitations in mind. Remember, to be complete and thorough, you must evaluate above the diaphragm, below the diaphragm, around the liver and superior pole of the kidney, and around the left liver edge and inferior pole of the kidney (along the right paracolic gutter) through slow and deliberate full fanning between multiple rib spaces, and adjusting your depth as needed.

SonoTutorial: The FAST Part 1: The right upper quadrant – the right way to do it

The FAST scan (focused assessment with sonography for trauma) is probably the most frequent application of bedside ultrasound with a moderate sensitivity and very high specificity. It is done as part of our trauma evaluation for blunt or penetrating chest/abdomen/back/pelvic trauma as well as in the evaluation of the unexplained hypotensive patient as part of the RUSH protocol and the patient with a possible ruptured ectopic pregnancy.

SonoApp: Lung Ultrasound – The down low of pneumo…with the help of Lichtenstein, of course

Lung ultrasound (aka thoracic US) is one of the currently most popular applications of bedside ultrasound. It was found to be more sensitive and specific than chest XRay for pleural effusion, pulmonary edema, and pneumothorax evaluation…. how about them apples?! There have been some recent studies suggesting that in the heat of the moment for trauma patients, the sensitivity may be slightly lower than other studies state, but it is still better than chest Xray! Not only does it take a long time to get that chest Xray done in your ED or in through your ambulatory care practice, but its more expensive than bedside limited ultrasound for the patient as well…. lets not even talk about the radiation (yes, I know, Chest Xray radiation is minimal, but it’s still radiation). The evaluation of the lungs takes no more than 3 minutes, and ultrasound machines can be found in your pocket now (should you want that kind of VERY COOL technology). US machines can also be the size of a laptop with better resolution and multiple probe capabilities – so, needless to say, its easy, portable, fast, and more accurate. Now let’s talk…

SonoCase: Motorcycle victim: needs OR! But wait…

So, this case that I just had the other day is an example of an “oldy but goody” reason why bedside ultrasound rocks, especially in the blunt trauma victim with multiple injuries. 40 year-old motorcycle helmeted driver going moderate speed was T-boned by a car and fell onto his left side. He c/o severe left leg pain and mild left lower back pain, with STABLE (and yes, I mean, stable/normal/not worrisome vitals – HR 72, RR 16, BP 148/90, O2 sat 97%RA) with a clear primary trauma survey, and a secondary that revealed a small abrasion on his cheek, no left sided chest wall tenderness, nontender abdomen, no pelvis instability, an obvious deformed open fracture of his left tibia/fibula, and left lower posterior rib cage tenderness without crepitance or bruising. An E-FAST was done…

SonoTip: Da Spine Sign: Dont miss that Pleural Effusion on the FAST scan!

I call it “Da Spine Sign” (insert any accent here – trust me, its funny). So, fluid is the lover of ultrasound, right? And air is the enemy. Typically you will not see the spine passed the diaphragm when looking at your RUQ view for your FAST scan in normal patients, but oh when you do, BAM! You know there’s fluid in the thorax. Here’s an image showing exactly that, as well as a little somethin’ somethin’ in the intraperitoneal space… so, don’t forget to look above the diaphragm in your FAST scan views! By the way – it’s also called the V-Line - I like my name better