Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Diagnosed by POCUS in a 29-year-old Man.

Aortic dissection (AD) is a medical emergency with a poor prognosis if not recognized early and treated promptly. In this setting, clinical data may be equivocal, while electrocardiogram, laboratory tests, and chest radiography often show nonspecific findings. In contrast, cardiac point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has proven useful in the diagnosis and detection of complications of AD.

Ultrasonography and procedures in intensive care medicine.

The use of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) is not limited to the diagnosis and/or monitoring of critically ill patients. Further, ultrasound guidance is of paramount relevance to aid in successfully and safely performing several procedures in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this article, we review the role of POCUS as a procedural guidance in the ICU.

Native-valve endocarditis detected by point-of-care echocardiography.

Background: Infective endocarditis carries a high morbidity and mortality; therefore, a rapid diagnosis and timely treatment is crucial to improve outcomes. Diagnosis of infective endocarditis is supported on echocardiogram findings.

Case Presentation: An adult male with history of long-term hemodialysis, presented with embolic manifestations (cerebral, skin) and fever.

Pericardiocentesis: ultrasound guidance is essential.

Background: Pericardial effusion is a common entity which may have important implications in patient's prognosis. In several cases, pericardiocentesis is indicated for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes.

Case Presentation: A blind pericardiocentesis failed in a 95-year-old woman admitted to the emergency department with a large pericardial effusion incidentally diagnosed in the ambulatory setting.

Retroaortic Anomalous Coronary Artery Visualization on Transthoracic Echocardiogram.

Incidental findings are not uncommon in echocardiography. A transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) of an adult woman with arterial hypertension showed a tubular structure with hyperechoic walls in the atrial side of the atrioventricular groove in apical views. Coronary computed tomography angiography correlated this finding with a retroaortic course of the anomalous circumflex artery (retroaortic anomalous coronary artery [RAC], benign coronary artery variant).

Multi-organ point-of-care ultrasound for COVID-19 (PoCUS4COVID): international expert consensus.

COVID-19 has caused great devastation in the past year. Multi-organ point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) including lung ultrasound (LUS) and focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS) as a clinical adjunct has played a significant role in triaging, diagnosis and medical management of COVID-19 patients. The expert panel from 27 countries and 6 continents with considerable experience of direct application of PoCUS on COVID-19 patients presents evidence-based consensus using GRADE methodology for the quality of evidence and an expedited, modified-Delphi process for the strength of expert consensus.

Ultrasound-aided diagnosis of septic arthritis of the elbow in the emergency department.

Septic arthritis (SA) is an emergency orthopedic condition that carries significant patient morbidity and mortality. Clinical data and blood test analyses are fairly unreliable in making the diagnosis and, therefore, utilizing a feasible and reliable diagnostic tool is desirable, particularly in emergency settings where rapid diagnosis is pivotal. Here, we report the case of a 58-year-old male presenting to the emergency department with a swollen elbow.

Stab wound of the superficial femoral artery early diagnosed by point-of-care Doppler ultrasound.

Background: Traumatic vascular injury of the limbs has the potential to cause substantial patient morbidity and mortality, and therefore, early recognition and treatment are crucial to improve outcomes. While patients with hard signs of arterial injury mandate for an immediate surgical intervention, patients presenting with soft signs of arterial injury need further diagnostic evaluation.

Case Presentation: A 24-year-old male was admitted to the emergency department after suffering a stab wound in the anterolateral aspect of his left upper thigh.

Superior vena cava obstruction and mediastinal mass detected by point-of-care ultrasonography.

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) often relates to malignant causes such as lung tumors, metastatic cancer, or lymphomas. While the diagnosis relies nowadays on the use of contrast-enhanced thoracic computed tomography, ultrasonography may have an important value as a first-line imaging technique, particularly when used in point-of-care office-based settings. Here, we report the case of a 67-year-old male presenting with SVCS in whom ultrasound contributed to diagnosis.

Burnout prevalence in intensive care nurses in Argentina.

Purpose: Burnout syndrome among intensive care professionals has been widely documented internationally. Few studies address the incidence and prevalence in Latin America. And there are no validated studies about the situation in Argentina.

Applications of Transcranial Color-Coded Sonography in the Emergency Department.

Transcranial color-coded Doppler sonography is a noninvasive bedside ultrasound application that combines both imaging of parenchymal structures and Doppler assessment of intracranial vessels. It may aid in rapid diagnoses and treatment decision making of patients with intracranial emergencies in point-of-care settings. This pictorial essay illustrates the technical aspects and emergency department applications of transcranial color-coded Doppler sonography, and provides some rationale for implementation of this technique into the emergency department practice.

[Sickle cell syndrome. Association between hemoglobin S and β thalassemia].

Sickle cell syndrome HbS/β thalassemia is an inheritable mendelian type disease where two affected alleles are simultaneously present, one from HbS (βS) and the other from β thalassemia. That situation is mainly linked to individuals who share African and Mediterranean ancestors. The mutation responsible for HbS is a point mutation, whereas for β thalassemia, there are more than 200 mutations that cause different degrees of deficiency synthesis of β globin chain, which justifies the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of this syndrome.

Common pitfalls in point-of-care ultrasound: a practical guide for emergency and critical care physicians.

Background: Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) is a widely used tool in emergency and critical care settings, useful in the decision-making process as well as in interventional guidance. While having an impressive diagnostic accuracy in the hands of highly skilled operators, inexperienced practitioners must be aware of some common misinterpretations that may lead to wrong decisions at the bedside.

Objectives: This article provides a revision list of common POCUS misdiagnoses usually found in practice and offers useful tips to recognize and avoid them.