with Dr Avijit Barai and Dr Allan Whitehead
In the realm of critical care, echo in life support has emerged as a vital tool for clinicians, providing real-time insights into cardiac function and hemodynamic status.
The advent of bedside echo, specifically focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS), has empowered healthcare professionals to make rapid, informed decisions. This podcast with Dr Allan Whitehead delves into the transformative impact of these technologies, including the use of Point of care ultrasound (POCUS), and popular devices like Butterfly iQ, and Lumify Philips.
Echo in life support refers to the use of echocardiography in managing critically ill patients. It plays a crucial role in diagnosing and guiding treatment for a variety of conditions, from cardiac arrest to shock. Bedside echo allows clinicians to perform focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) at the patient's bedside, offering immediate assessment of cardiac structure and function. FOCUS, a subset of POCUS (Point-of-Care Ultrasound), is essential in critical situations, enabling rapid assessment of the heart. Devices like the Butterfly iQ, GE VScan, Lumify Philips and Mindray have made FOCUS more accessible, providing high-quality imaging with handheld devices.
In Part 1 of the Podcast, we talk about Echo in life support in general with some personal examples, images and clips.
In Part 2 of the Podcast, we focus on Echo in life support from an Australian perspective, training, challenges, pitfalls and Allan’s tips and trick!
The development of portable ultrasound machines has revolutionized bedside diagnostics. Handheld ultrasound machines like the Butterfly iQ, GE VScan and Lumify Philips have made it possible to perform comprehensive cardiac assessments without the need for bulky equipment. POC echo (Point-Of-Care Echocardiography) is used to quickly evaluate the heart's function and structure. Learning and Mastering Bedside Sonography To effectively utilize bedside sonography, clinicians must undergo proper training.
Several resources are available, including tutorials from the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), Australasian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM), Zedu, Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Groups (EMUGS), Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute and platforms like Medreach. These provide comprehensive ultrasound, Echo, and free ultrasound tips, covering various aspects of echocardiography and POCUS.
In resuscitation and intensive, critical, resus settings, POCUS is invaluable. It helps in assessing cardiac output, guiding fluid resuscitation, and monitoring the effectiveness of interventions. The use of echo in life support is a game-changer in emergency medicine and critical care, offering rapid, non-invasive insights into cardiac function. With advancements in POCUS technology and the availability of devices like Butterfly iQ, VScan, Mindray and Lumify Philips, clinicians can perform emergency echocardiography and bedside sonography with ease.
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