The New Zealand medical journal
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Bedside ultrasound is not widely practised by emergency physicians in Australasia despite its use in Europe, Asia and North America, and an extensive medical literature on the subject. A workshop was organised at Auckland Hospital, aiming to introduce emergency physicians to the basics of emergency ultrasound. This article summarises the content of the programme, the responses from the participants and the principles that emerged at this workshop. ⋯ The first Australasian workshop on bedside ultrasound in the Emergency Department held in Auckland (February 1998) was successful in achieving its objectives. Focused emergency ultrasound can be taught to detect free intraperitoneal or pericardial fluid in trauma patients. There is a need for appropriate quality assurance and credentialling guidelines as more Australasian emergency departments consider the application of focused ultrasound.