Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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Point-of-care ultrasound may be used to assist in the diagnosis of skin, soft tissue, and musculoskeletal concerns in the emergency department. Frequently, linear or curvilinear probes are used to perform these studies and ultrasound may be used to assist in common emergency department procedures related to these conditions.
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Airway and thoracic ultrasound applications can provide critical information to improve patient safety for procedures and management of pulmonary conditions. Emergency physicians should utilize airway ultrasound in the preparation for an anatomically and/or physiologically difficult airway, which may include site demarcation for surgical airway planning. Thoracic ultrasound is useful in the prompt evaluation of a dyspneic patient. This article underscores the crucial role of airway and thoracic ultrasound in emergency medicine, emphasizing its utility for assessing difficult airways, planning surgical airways, and promptly evaluating dyspneic patients.
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Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Nov 2024
ReviewCardiac Point-Of-Care Ultrasound: An Emergency Medicine Review.
Cardiac point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can make critical diagnoses and monitor the response to interventions. In contrast with consultative echocardiography, cardiac POCUS serves to answer a specific clinical question. This imaging modality can be used to evaluate for left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction, pericardial effusion and tamponade, acute and chronic right ventricular dysfunction, valvular dysfunction, and cardiac activity in cardiac arrest.
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With the growing use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in various clinical settings, it is essential for users of ultrasound to have a thorough understanding of the basics of ultrasound physics, including sound wave properties, its interaction with various tissues, common artifacts, and knobology. The authors introduce and discuss these concepts in this article, with a focus on clinical implications.