Using tele-ultrasound to teach medical students: A randomised control equivalence study.

Objectives: Undergraduate ultrasound education is becoming increasingly important, but its expansion is limited by time, space and the availability of trained faculty. In order to validate an alternative and more accessible teaching model, our aim was to assess whether combining teleguidance and peer-assisted learning to teach ultrasound is as effective as traditional in-person methods.

Methods: Peer instructors taught 47 second-year medical students ocular ultrasound either teleguidance or traditional in-person methods.

Feasibility of patient-performed lung ultrasound self-exams (Patient-PLUS) as a potential approach to telemedicine in heart failure.

Aims: Patient-performed lung ultrasound (LUS) in a heart failure (HF) telemedicine model may be used to monitor worsening pulmonary oedema and to titrate therapy, potentially reducing HF admission. The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of training HF patients to perform a LUS self-exam in a telemedicine model.

Methods And Results: A pilot study was conducted at a public hospital involving subjects with a history of HF.

Pseudoaneurysm of the Dorsalis Pedis Artery Diagnosed on Point-of-Care Ultrasound.

A 46-year-old man presented with a painless mass on his dorsal right foot one week after striking it on a door. A traumatic hematoma was suspected, and needle aspiration of the mass is considered. However, point-of-care ultrasound performed by the emergency physician identified a pseudoaneurysm of the dorsalis pedis artery, a rare condition that can occur after minor trauma or iatrogenic intervention.

A Novel Three-Dimensional-Printed Ultrasound-Guided Hip Arthrocentesis Model.

When evaluating patients with hip pain, clinicians may be trained to both evaluate for a hip effusion and perform ultrasound-guided arthrocentesis to evaluate the etiology of the effusion. We present a novel 3-dimensional-printed hip arthrocentesis model, which can be used to train clinicians to perform both tasks under ultrasound guidance. Our model uses a combination of a 3-dimensional-printed hip joint, as well as readily available materials such as an infant Ambu (Ballerup, Denmark) bag, syringe, intravenous line kit, and silicone.

Effect of insonation angle on peak systolic velocity variation.

Objectives: As point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has become more integrated into emergency and critical care medicine, there has been increased interest in utilizing ultrasound to assess volume status. However, recent studies of carotid POCUS on volume status and fluid responsiveness fail to recognize the effect insonation angle has on their results. To address this, we studied the effect of insonation angle on peak systolic velocity (PSV) change associated with respiratory variation (RV) and passive leg raise (PLR).

Role of Ultrasound in the Identification of Longitudinal Axis in Soft-Tissue Foreign Body Extraction.

Identification and retrieval of soft-tissue foreign bodies (STFB) poses significant challenges in the emergency department. Prior studies have demonstrated the utility of ultrasound (US) in identification and retrieval of STFBs, including radiolucent objects such as wood. We present a case of STFB extraction that uses US to identify the longitudinal axis of the object.

Integration of Ultrasound in Undergraduate Medical Education at the California Medical Schools: A Discussion of Common Challenges and Strategies From the UMeCali Experience.

Since the first medical student ultrasound electives became available more than a decade ago, ultrasound in undergraduate medical education has gained increasing popularity. More than a dozen medical schools have fully integrated ultrasound education in their curricula, with several dozen more institutions planning to follow suit. Starting in June 2012, a working group of emergency ultrasound faculty at the California medical schools began to meet to discuss barriers as well as innovative approaches to implementing ultrasound education in undergraduate medical education.

Pelvic ultrasonography and length of stay in the ED: an observational study.

Objectives: We compared emergency physician-performed pelvic ultrasonography (EPPU) with radiology department-performed pelvic ultrasonography (RPPU) in emergency department (ED) female patients requiring pelvic ultrasonography and their outcomes in relation to ED length of stay, ED readmission, and alternative diagnosis, within a 14-day follow-up period.

Methods: This was a prospective, observational study of female patients of reproductive age who required either an EPPU or RPPU for their ED evaluation. We hypothesized that patients receiving EPPU would have a length of stay reduction greater than or equal to 60 minutes, as compared with RPPU.

Utilizing left ventricular outflow tract velocity changes to predict fluid responsiveness in septic patients: a case report.

Toxin-mediated vasodilation in the sepsis syndrome can lead to end-organ dysfunction and shock. Assessing for fluid responsiveness and preload optimization with intravenous fluids is a central tenet in the management of sepsis. Aggressive fluid administration can lead to pulmonary edema and heart failure, whereas premature inotropic or vasopressor support can worsen organ perfusion.