Pre-hospital ultrasound can be a valuable tool to rapidly diagnose a variety of conditions associated with trauma and/or critically ill patients, including those who potentially have the COVID-19 virus. Pre-Hospital focused evaluation of the heart, lungs, and abdomen can provide a rapid and safe method to improve the time to diagnose and/or treat these patients resulting with increased patient safety, satisfaction, and over-all improved patient outcomes in time-sensitive situations.

OBJECTIVES
– Increase participant’s knowledge to better perform and/or interpret focused pre-hospital/emergency ultrasound examinations.
– State the basic fundamentals of ultrasound physics and demonstrate appropriate optimization of system controls.
– Perform ultrasound evaluation of the trauma patient (E-FAST exam) and pneumothorax.
– Demonstrate lung ultrasound techniques for evaluation of pneumothorax, pneumonia/consolidation, and pulmonary edema.
– Perform scan protocols for focused evaluation of the aorta and adult heart.
– State an algorithm for uses of bedside ultrasound during cardiac arrest, shock & hypotension.
– Outline scan techniques for performing ultrasound guided peripheral vascular access

TOPICS
– Imaging Fundamentals
– Abdominal Scanning Fundamentals
– Focused Ultrasound Evaluation of the Abdominal Aorta
– E-FAST (Abdominal Trauma and basic lung)
– Thoracic Ultrasound: Basic and Advanced Techniques (pneumothorax, pneumonia/consolidation, pulmonary edema)
– Cardiac Anatomy/Physiology
– Focused Cardiac Ultrasound
– Rapid Ultrasound in Shock and Hypotension (RUSH)
– Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Vascular Access

Date of Original Release: 4/14/2020

This edition valid for credit through: 4/14/2023