A descriptive study of the use of cardiac point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) in public emergency centres in Cape Town.

Introduction: The indications for cardiac point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) vary somewhat in different parts of the world, and training programs may also differ. We set out to describe the self-reported cardiac PoCUS indications and imaging windows used at a selection of secondary-level, public hospital emergency centres in Cape Town.

Methods: A descriptive study with prospective data collected from emergency centres of Mitchells Plain District, Victoria and New Somerset Hospitals in Cape Town were used.

Adequacy of the emergency point-of-care ultrasound core curriculum for the local burden of disease in South Africa.

Objective: This prospective cross-sectional study assesses the adequacy of the current South African emergency point-of-care ultrasound (EPCUS) core curriculum against the local burden of disease.

Method: Patients presenting to five Emergency Centres during July 2011 were eligible for inclusion. Patients under the age of 12, after-hour presentations, missing folders and folders with incomplete notes were excluded.