Development and Implementation of a Multicenter Registry for Resuscitation-Focused Transesophageal Echocardiography.

Study Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect, safety, and clinical outcomes of focused transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the evaluation of critically ill patients in the emergency department (ED) and ICUs.

Methods: We established a prospective, multicenter, observational registry involving adult critically ill patients in whom focused TEE was performed for evaluation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), inhospital cardiac arrest, evaluation of undifferentiated shock, hemodynamic monitoring, and/or procedural guidance in the ED, ICU, or operating room setting. The primary objective of the current investigation was to evaluate the clinical influence and safety of focused, point-of-care TEE in critically ill patients.

Esophageal Stent Migration Diagnosed With Point-of-Care Ultrasound.

This unique case depicts the first published report of a physician using point-of-care ultrasound to diagnose an esophageal stent migration. Discussed in this article are the sonographic findings that clinicians should be familiar with when evaluating patients with abdominal pain or chest pain who have a history of an esophageal stent. When coupled with a high index of suspicion, ultrasound can be one of the most portable, readily available, low-cost, and minimally invasive techniques for making a rapid diagnosis of esophageal stent migration.

Utilization of point-of-care ultrasound to evaluate for enterovesical fistula.

Enterovesical fistula formation is a relatively rare disease process although a common complication for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), notably Crohn's disease. Enterovesical fistulas most commonly arise from diverticulitis (65-80%), cancer (10-20%), or Crohn's disease (5-7%). An increasing amount of evidence supports the use of ultrasonography as the primary imaging method for the monitoring of complications in individuals with a documented history of IBD.

How Many Ultrasound Examinations Are Necessary to Gain Proficiency in Accurately Identifying the Nerves of the Brachial Plexus at the Level of the Interscalene Space?

Introduction: There has been a trend toward the use of alternative treatments to opioids for adequate pain management. This has paralleled a growing interest in the utilization of bedside point-of-care ultrasonography to guide placement of regional anesthesia in the emergency department. The purpose of this study was to establish the number of supervised examinations required for an emergency medicine resident to gain proficiency in accurately locating and identifying the nerves of the brachial plexus at the level of the interscalene space.

Determination of Endovaginal Ultrasound Proficiency and Learning Curve Among Emergency Medicine Trainees.

Objectives: Performing and interpreting endovaginal ultrasound is an important skill used during the evaluation of obstetric and gynecologic emergencies. This study aims to describe the level of proficiency and confidence achieved after performing 25 endovaginal examinations.

Methods: This is a prospective study at a single urban academic emergency department.

The Effect of Head Rotation on the Relative Vascular Anatomy of the Neck: Implications for Central Venous Access.

Context: Previous studies have shown that safe venous cannulation is difficult when the internal jugular vein (IJV) overlies the carotid artery (CA) as the probability of inadvertent arterial penetration is greatly increased.

Aims: The goal of this study was to examine the anatomical relationships of the IJV and CA as a function of the degree of head rotation in order to minimize the risk for CA puncture.

Settings And Design: Our study was a prospective study using a sample of 496 Emergency Department patients.

Sonographic identification of peripheral nerves in the forearm.

Background: With the growing utilization of ultrasonography in emergency medicine combined with the concern over adequate pain management in the emergency department (ED), ultrasound guidance for peripheral nerve blockade in ED is an area of increasing interest. The medical literature has multiple reports supporting the use of ultrasound guidance in peripheral nerve blocks. However, to perform a peripheral nerve block, one must first be able to reliably identify the specific nerve before the procedure.

Rapid Diagnosis of Rhabdomyolysis with Point-of-Care Ultrasound.

It is important to rapidly diagnosis and treat rhabdomyolysis in order to decrease morbidity and mortality. To date there are no reports in the emergency medicine literature on the use of point-of-care ultrasound in the diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis. This unique case describes how ultrasound was used in the emergency department (ED) to quickly diagnose and treat rhabdomyolysis prior to confirmation with an elevated serum creatine kinase.

Emergency Medicine Resident Assessment of the Emergency Ultrasound Milestones and Current Training Recommendations.

Objectives: Emergency ultrasound (EUS) has been recognized as integral to the training and practice of emergency medicine (EM). The Council of Emergency Medicine Residency-Academy of Emergency Ultrasound (CORD-AEUS) consensus document provides guidelines for resident assessment and progression. The Accredited Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has adopted the EM Milestones for assessment of residents' progress during their residency training, which includes demonstration of procedural competency in bedside ultrasound.

Unusual ectopic pregnancies: sonographic findings and implications for management.

Ectopic pregnancy is a considerable source of morbidity and mortality for women of childbearing age. Improved detection and increased risk factors have led to a dramatic rise in the incidence of ectopic pregnancy in recent years. Early diagnosis is critical for the health of the patient as well as the success rate of future pregnancies.

Pulmonary embolism: An abdominal pain masquerader.

Abdominal pain is an uncommon presenting symptom for pulmonary embolism (PE). A delay in the diagnosis when a patient presents with atypical symptoms can postpone proper treatment and can be catastrophic. We report the case of a 48-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with worsening right upper quadrant abdominal pain.

Bedside ultrasound in the diagnosis of uterine rupture following surgical abortion.

Reports of uterine rupture following surgical abortion are rare but may result in hemorrhage, sepsis, and even death. In this unique case, we describe how a transabdominal pelvic ultrasound performed at the bedside by an emergency department physician identified uterine rupture with retained products of conception and led to an emergent laparotomy and hysterectomy. This case illustrates how bedside ultrasound may be used in patients presenting with abdominopelvic pain following surgical abortion to shorten the time to definitive treatment and ultimately lower the morbidity and mortality associated with a diagnosis of life-threatening uterine rupture.

Bilateral dacryoadenitis.

Acute dacryoadenitis is an uncommon condition that involves inflammation of the lacrimal gland. In rare instances, dacryoadenitis may be bilateral. A delay in proper treatment of an otherwise simple case of dacryoadenitis may lead to significant soft tissue morbidity such as cellulitis, lacrimal gland abscess, or orbital abscess.

Esophageal rupture diagnosed with bedside ultrasound.

A 69-year-old man presented to the emergency department with hematemesis, hypotension, tachycardia, and hypothermia. The emergency physician performed a bedside ultrasound of the chest, heart, and abdomen. The heart was unable to be visualized in the parasternal, apical, or subxiphoid windows, and free fluid and particulate matter were visualized in the chest and abdomen.

Posttraumatic appendicitis: further extending the extended Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma examination.

Several cases of appendicitis after blunt abdominal trauma have been reported in the literature. A 41-year-old man on a cruise ship began to experience acute abdominal pain several hours after cliff diving from a 20-ft height and landing hard against the water on his right side. The patient's symptoms were treated and he remained on the ship until its scheduled arrival in port 2 days later.