scholarly journals Point-of-care ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology

2021 ◽  
Vol 303 (4) ◽  
pp. 871-876
Author(s):  
Florian Recker ◽  
Eva Weber ◽  
Brigitte Strizek ◽  
Ulrich Gembruch ◽  
Susan Campbell Westerway ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The rapid technical development and portability of ultrasound systems over recent years has had a profound impact on the area of point-of-care-ultrasound (POCUS), both in general medicine and in obstetrics and gynecology. The use of POCUS enables the clinician to perform the ultrasound scan either at the medical office or the patient’s bedside and used as an extension of the physical examination. Real-time images can immediately be correlated with the patient’s symptoms, and any changes in a (critical) patient’s condition can be more rapidly detected. POCUS in OBGYN POCUS is also suitable for time-critical scenarios, and depending on the situation and its dynamics, the course and results of any therapy may be observed in real time. POCUS should be considered to be a routine extension of practice for most OB/GYN clinicians as it can give immediate answers to what could be life-threatening situations for the mother and/or baby. With its proven usefulness, the applications and use of POCUS should be incorporated in teaching programs for medical students, OBGYN residents and emergency physicians.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 377-380
Author(s):  
Jung Yum ◽  
Taryn Hoffman ◽  
Leily Naraghi

Introduction: Pneumoperitoneum is a life-threatening diagnosis that requires timely diagnosis and action. We present a case series of patients with perforated hollow viscus who were accurately diagnosed by emergency physicians using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) while in the emergency department (ED). Case Series: Three elderly patients presented to the ED with the complaints of syncope, abdominal pain with constipation, and unresponsiveness. The emergency physicians used POCUS to diagnose and then expedite the necessary treatment. Conclusion: Point-of-care ultrasound can be used by emergency physicians to diagnose pneumoperitoneum in the ED.



2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarso Accorsi ◽  
Karine De Amicis Lima ◽  
Alexandra Brigido ◽  
Deborah Belfort ◽  
Fabio Habrum ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Lightweight portable ultrasound is widely available, especially in inaccessible geographical areas. It demonstrates effectiveness and diagnosis improvement even in field conditions but no precise information about protocols, acquisition time, image interpretation, and the relevance in changing medical conduct exists. The COVID-19 pandemic implied many severe cases and the rapid construction of field hospitals with massive general practitioner (GP) recruitment. OBJECTIVE This prospective and descriptive study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of telemedicine guidance using a standardized multi-organ sonographic assessment protocol in untrained GPs during a COVID-19 emergency in a field hospital. METHODS Eleven COVID-19 in-patients presenting life-threatening complications, attended by local staff who spontaneously requested on-time teleconsultation, were enrolled. All untrained doctors successfully positioned the transducer and obtained key images guided by a remote doctor via telemedicine, with remote interpretation of the findings. RESULTS Only four (36%) general practitioners obtained the appropriate key heart image on the left parasternal long axis window, and three (27%) had an image interpreted remotely on-time. The evaluation time ranged from seven to 42 minutes, with a mean of 22.7 + 12. CONCLUSIONS Telemedicine is effective in guiding GPs to perform portable ultrasound in life-threatening situations, showing effectiveness in conducting decisions.



2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Pourmand ◽  
U. Dimbil ◽  
A. Drake ◽  
H. Shokoohi

Radiological imaging plays an essential role in the evaluation of a patient with suspected small bowel obstruction (SBO). In a few studies, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been utilized as a primary imaging modality in patients with suspected SBO. POCUS has been shown to be an accurate tool in the diagnosis of SBO with multiple research studies noting a consistent high sensitivity with a range of 94–100% and specificity of 81–100%. Specific sonographic findings that increase the likelihood of SBO include dilatation of small bowel loops > 25 mm, altered intestinal peristalsis, increased thickness of the bowel wall, and intraperitoneal fluid accumulation. Studies also reported that emergency physicians could apply this technique with limited and short-term ultrasound training. In this article, we aim to review the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound examinations performed by emergency physicians in patients with suspected SBO.



2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 608.e1-608.e6 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Friedman ◽  
Z. Pancer ◽  
R. Savic ◽  
F. Tseng ◽  
M.S. Lee ◽  
...  


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 2893-2900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nir Friedman ◽  
Felicia Tseng ◽  
Ranko Savic ◽  
Mamadou Diallo ◽  
Kate Fathi ◽  
...  


CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S66-S66
Author(s):  
D. Wiercigroch ◽  
S. Friedman ◽  
D. Porplycia ◽  
M. Ben-Yakov

Introduction: The use of regional anesthesia (RA) by emergency physicians (EPs) is expanding in frequency and range of application as expertise in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) grows, but widespread use remains limited. We sought to characterize the use of RA by Canadian EPs, including practices, perspectives and barriers to use in the ED. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of Canadian EPs was administered to members of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP), consisting of sixteen multiple choice and numerical responses. Responses were summarized descriptively as percentages and as the median and inter quartile range (IQR) for quantitative variables. Results: The survey was completed by 149/1144 staff EPs, with a response rate of 13%. EPs used RA a median of 2 (IQR 0-4) times in the past ten shifts. The most broadly used applications were soft tissue repair (84.5% of EPs, n = 126), fracture pain management (79.2%, n = 118) and orthopedic reduction (72.5%, n = 108). EPs agreed that RA is safe to use in the ED (98.7%) and were interested in using it more frequently (78.5%). Almost all (98.0%) respondents had POCUS available, however less than half (49.0%) felt comfortable using it for RA. EPs indicated that they required more training (76.5%), a departmental protocol (47.0%), and nursing assistance (30.2%) to increase their use. Conclusion: Canadian EPs engage in limited use of RA but express an interest in expanding their use. While equipment is available, additional training, protocols, and increased support from nursing staff are modifiable factors that could facilitate uptake of RA in the ED.





CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 523-527
Author(s):  
Nicholas Schouela ◽  
Michael Y. Woo ◽  
Andy Pan ◽  
Warren J. Cheung ◽  
Jeffery J. Perry

ABSTRACTObjectivesCricothyrotomy is an intervention performed to salvage “can't intubate, can't ventilate” situations. Studies have shown poor accuracy with landmarking the cricothyroid membrane, particularly in female patients by surgeons and anesthesiologists. This study examines the perceived versus actual success rate of landmarking the cricothyroid membrane by resident and staff emergency physicians using obese and non-obese models.MethodsFive male and female volunteers were models. Each model was placed supine, and a point-of-care ultrasound expert landmarked the borders of each cricothyroid membrane; 20 residents and 15 staff emergency physicians were given one attempt to landmark five models. Overall accuracy and accuracy stratified by sex and obesity status were calculated.ResultsOverall landmarking accuracy amongst all participants was 58% (SD 18%). A difference in accuracy was found for obese males (88%) versus obese females (40%) (difference = 48%, 95% CI = 30–65%, p < 0.0001), and non-obese males (77%) versus non-obese females (46%) (difference = 31%, 95% CI = 12–51%, p = 0.004). There was no association between perceived difficulty and success (correlation = 0.07, 95% CI = −0.081–0.214, p = 0.37). Confidence levels overall were higher amongst staff physicians (3.0) than residents (2.7) (difference = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1–0.6, p = 0.02), but there was no correlation between confidence in an attempt and its success (p = 0.33).ConclusionWe found that physicians demonstrate significantly lower accuracy when landmarking cricothyroid membranes of females. Emergency physicians were unable to predict their own accuracy while landmarking, which can potentially lead to increased failed attempts and a longer time to secure the airway. Improved training techniques may reduce failed attempts and improve the time to secure the airway.



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