Updates on the clinical integration of point-of-care ultrasound in pediatric emergency medicine.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There is expanding evidence for point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use in pediatric emergency medicine - this review highlights the benefits and challenges in the clinical integration of high-yield POCUS applications. Specifically, it will delve into POCUS applications during resuscitations, controversies of Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) in pediatric trauma, POCUS-guided procedures, and examples of clinical pathways where POCUS can expedite definitive care. RECENT FINDINGS: POCUS can enhance diagnostic accuracy and aid in management of pediatric patients in shock and help identify reversible causes during cardiac arrest. The use of the FAST in pediatric blunt abdominal trauma remains nuanced - its proper use requires an integration with clinical findings and an appreciation of its limitations. POCUS has been shown to enhance safety and efficacy of procedures such as nerve blocks, incision & drainage, and intravenous access. Integrating POCUS into pathways for conditions such as intussusception and testicular torsion expedites downstream care. SUMMARY: POCUS enhances diagnostic efficiency and management in pediatric patients arriving at the ED with undifferentiated shock, cardiac arrest, or trauma. Additionally, POCUS improves procedural success and safety, and is integral to clinical pathways for expediting definitive care for various pediatric emergencies. Future research should continue to focus on the impact of POCUS on patient outcomes, ensuring user competency, and the expansion of POCUS into diverse settings.

Echocardiography in shock.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this study was to illustrate the varying roles of echocardiography in all phases of shock ranging from a rapid, diagnostic tool at the bedside, to a tool for monitoring the adequacy and effects of shock treatment and finally for identification of patients suitable for de-escalation of therapy. RECENT FINDINGS: Echocardiography has become an indispensable tool for establishing diagnosis in patients with shock. It is also important for assessing the adequacy of treatment such as fluid resuscitation, vasopressors and inotropes by providing integrated information on cardiac contractility and systemic flow conditions, particularly when used in conjunction with other methods of advanced haemodynamic monitoring. Apart from a traditional, diagnostic role, it may be used as an advanced, albeit intermittent, monitoring tool. Examples include the assessment of heart-lung interactions in mechanically ventilated patients, fluid responsiveness, vasopressor adequacy, preload dependence in ventilator-induced pulmonary oedema and indications for and monitoring during extracorporeal life support. Emerging studies also illustrate the role of echocardiography in de-escalation of shock treatment. SUMMARY: This study provides the reader with a structured review on the uses of echocardiography in all phases of shock treatment.

Diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound for shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Circulatory failure is classified into four types of shock (obstructive, cardiogenic, distributive, and hypovolemic) that must be distinguished as each requires a different treatment. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is widely used in clinical practice for acute conditions, and several diagnostic protocols using POCUS for shock have been developed. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS in identifying the etiology of shock. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, Web of Science, Clinicaltrial.gov, European Union Clinical Trials Register, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) until June 15, 2022. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and assessed study quality using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool. Meta-analysis was conducted to pool the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS for each type of shock. The study protocol was prospectively registered in UMIN-CTR (UMIN 000048025). RESULTS: Of the 1553 studies identified, 36 studies were full-text reviewed, and 12 studies with 1132 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.82 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68-0.91] and 0.98 [95% CI 0.92-0.99] for obstructive shock, 0.78 [95% CI 0.56-0.91] and 0.96 [95% CI 0.92-0.98] for cardiogenic shock, 0.90 [95% CI 0.84-0.94] and 0.92 [95% CI 0.88-0.95] for hypovolemic shock, and 0.79 [95% CI 0.71-0.85] and 0.96 [95% CI 0.91-0.98] for distributive shock, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for each type of shock was approximately 0.95. The positive likelihood ratios for each type of shock were all greater than 10, especially 40 [95% CI 11-105] for obstructive shock. The negative likelihood ratio for each type of shock was approximately 0.2. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of the etiology for each type of shock using POCUS was characterized by high sensitivity and positive likelihood ratios, especially for obstructive shock.

Evaluation of parameters used in echocardiography and ultrasound protocol for the diagnosis of shock etiology in emergency setting.

BACKGROUND: Early recognition and appropriate treatment has shown to decrease morbidity and mortality in patients with undifferentiated shock. There are many ultrasound protocols in shock; each protocol combines core ultrasound elements such as IVC and cardiac assessment which includes detection of cardiac tamponade, left ventricular function and right ventricular strain.Valvular assessment is absent in majority of ultasound protocols, while lung ultrasound is included in some of them. OBJECTIVE: In this study we investigated which parameters used in Echo - US protocol help differentiate shock types. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted on 150 patients with shock (140 patients were included while, 10 patients were excluded).Sensitivity and specificity of different parameters used in the Echo-US protocol were analyzed to detect which parameters can diffentiate shock types. RESULTS: Velocity time integral of Aorta and IVC maximum diameter were good discriminators for distributive shock, with area under the ROC curve (AUC) = 0.8885 (95% CI 0.8144 to 0.9406) and 0.7728 (95% CI 0.6832 to 0.8473) (Z = 10.256 p < 0.0001) and (Z = 5.079 p < 0.0001) respectively. Left ventricular systolic function, presence of pneumonia, pneumothorax or valve vegetations were of great value in differentiating shock types, while CUST, FAST, TAPSE and RV diameter were not useful in differentiating shock types. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound and echocardiography are powerful tools that can be used to identify shock etiology when the clinical picture overlaps.

Focused Cardiac Ultrasound Findings in Children Presenting With Shock to a Tertiary Care Hospital in Rwanda.

OBJECTIVES: Shock remains a leading proximate cause of death in children. Children in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries present with shock from a wide range of pathologies. Routine physiologic parameters may not reflect underlying physiology. No previous work has systematically described ultrasound findings in children with shock in an SSA country. We set out to perform focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) on children with shock in Rwanda and describe the findings in this pilot study. METHODS: In a prospective descriptive study, we trained pediatric residents to perform FOCUS on children presenting with shock to an urban tertiary care pediatric emergency department in Kigali, Rwanda. Images were transmitted via cellphone network and reviewed by experts. Primary outcome was expert's description of the FOCUS findings. Secondary outcomes included mortality at 48-hour, change in assessment and treatment after FOCUS, and agreement of FOCUS findings between residents and experts. RESULTS: Between January 2020 and April 2020, 25 subjects were enrolled by 8 residents. Eleven of 25 (44%) were newly diagnosed with acquired or congenital heart disease. The 48-hour mortality rate was higher in this group compared with those without heart disease (8 of 11 vs 1 of 14). The resident reported changing assessment and treatment based on FOCUS findings in 60% of patients (15 of 25). There was good to excellent agreements between residents and FOCUS experts on left ventricle function, pericardial effusion, and intravascular volume. CONCLUSIONS: In children presenting with signs and symptoms of shock in SSA, one could perform a screening FOCUS to distinguish between hypovolemic and cardiogenic shock.

Accuracy of echocardiography and ultrasound protocol to identify shock etiology in emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis and appropriate management of shock aimed at prevention of prolonged hypoperfusion has shown to decrease morbidity and mortality in patients with undifferentiated shock. However, there is often a challenge in emergency department (ED) - where diagnosis is mainly based on clinical signs and standard monitoring parameters. Early use of point of care ultrasound could reduce the diagnostic time and improve diagnostic accuracy. PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate the accuracy of echocardiography - ultrasound protocol to identify the cause of shock in ED. METHOD: The study was conducted on 150 shocked patients admitted to emergency department of Alexandria Main University Hospital from December 2018 to December 2020. The study was conducted to reach initial impression about shock etiology which was then compared to final diagnosis to determine accuracy, agreement, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). RESULTS: One hundred forty patients were included in the study (10 patients were excluded). The protocol was 100% accurate for diagnosing cases with obstructive and mixed obstructive distributive shock. It showed excellent rule- out characteristics for cardiogenic shock (sensitivity and NPV = 100%). There was almost perfect agreement between provisional and final shock type for mixed distributive cardiogenic shock (kappa 0.915). Echo- US protocol had lowest agreement and PPV for patients with hypovolemic shock Kappa 0.48 and 35% respectively. CONCLUSION: The Echo- US protocol showed a high accuracy in identifying shock etiology in ED and is likely a promising diagnostic tool in emergency care.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A systematic review of 133 Children that presented with Kawasaki-like multisystem inflammatory syndrome.

Kawasaki-like disease (KLD) and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) are considered as challenges for pediatric patients under the age of 18 infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A systematic search was performed on July 2, 2020, and updated on December 1, 2020, to identify studies on KLD/MIS-C associated with COVID-19. The databases of Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scholar were searched. The hospitalized children with a presentation of Kawasaki disease (KD), KLD, MIS-C, or inflammatory shock syndromes were included. A total number of 133 children in 45 studies were reviewed. A total of 74 (55.6%) cases had been admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Also, 49 (36.8%) patients had required respiratory support, of whom 31 (23.3%) cases had required mechanical ventilation/intubation, 18 (13.5%) cases had required other oxygen therapies. In total, 79 (59.4%) cases had been discharged from hospitals, 3 (2.2%) had been readmitted, 9 (6.7%) had been hospitalized at the time of the study, and 9 (6.7%) patients had expired due to the severe heart failure, shock, brain infarction. Similar outcomes had not been reported in other patients. Approximately two-thirds of the children with KLD associated with COVID-19 had been admitted to PICUs, around one-fourth of them had required mechanical ventilation/intubation, and even some of them had been required readmissions. Therefore, physicians are strongly recommended to monitor children that present with the characteristics of KD during the pandemic as they can be the dominant manifestations in children with COVID-19.

Interobserver Agreement for Classifying Post-liver Transplant Biliary Strictures in Donation After Circulatory Death Donors.

INTRODUCTION: Biliary strictures are a common complication of donation after circulatory death (DCD) liver transplantation (LT) and require multiple endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures. Three classification systems, based on cholangiograms, have been proposed for categorizing post-LT biliary strictures. We examined the interobserver agreement for each of the three classifications. METHODS: DCD LT recipients from 2012 through March 2017 undergoing ERCP for biliary strictures were included in the study. Initial cholangiograms delineating the entire biliary tree prior to endoscopic intervention were selected. One representative cholangiogram was selected from each ERCP. Five interventional endoscopists independently viewed each anonymized cholangiogram and classified the post-LT stricture according to each of the three classification systems. The Ling classification proposes four types of post-LT strictures based on their location. The Lee classification proposes four classes based on location and number of intrahepatic strictures. The binary system classifies strictures into anastomotic or non-anastomotic types. The Krippendorff's alpha reliability estimate was used to grade the strength of agreement as "poor," "fair," "moderate," "good," or "excellent" for values between 0-0.20, 0.21-0.4, 0.41-0.6, 0.61-0.08, and 0.81-1, respectively. RESULTS: One hundred DCD LT recipients (age 57.07 ± 8.8 years; 71 males) were initially evaluated. Of these, 49 patients who underwent 206 ERCP procedures for biliary strictures were included in the analysis. One hundred thirty-nine cholangiograms were selected and subsequently classified by five endoscopists. Interobserver agreement for post-LT biliary strictures was 0.354 for Ling classification (fair agreement), 0.405 for Lee classification (fair agreement), and 0.421 for the binary classification (moderate agreement). The binary classification provided the least amount of detail regarding the location and number of biliary strictures. DISCUSSION: The currently available classification systems for assessing post-LT biliary strictures have sub-optimal interobserver agreement. A better-designed classification system is needed for categorizing post-LT biliary strictures.

Fifteen-minute consultation: Point of care ultrasound in the management of paediatric shock.

The use of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in the assessment of the acutely shocked adult patient has been well established for over a decade. Comparatively, its use in paediatrics has been limited, but this is starting to change with the recent introduction of Children's Acute Ultrasound training. This article highlights the pathophysiology of shock in children and demonstrates how bedside ultrasound can be used to assist decision making in the clinical assessment of the neonate, infant or older child presenting with undifferentiated shock. We discuss a structured protocol to use when performing the POCUS examination and explain how this could lead to a more rapid correlation of the ultrasound findings with the underlying cause of shock.

A Pilot Study of Ultrasonography-Naïve Operators' Ability to Use Tele-Ultrasonography to Assess the Heart and Lung.

INTRODUCTION: Remotely tele-mentored ultrasound (RTMUS) involves the real-time guidance of US-naïve providers as they perform point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) by remotely located, US-proficient providers via telemedicine. The concordance between RTMUS and POCUS in the evaluation of critically ill patients has not been reported. This study sought to evaluate the concordance between RTMUS and POCUS for the cardiopulmonary evaluation of patients in acute respiratory insufficiency and/or shock. METHODS: Ultrasound-naÏve nurses performed RTMUS on critically ill patients. Concordance between RTMUS and POCUS (performed by critical care fellows) in the evaluation of the heart and lungs was reported. The test characteristics of RTMUS were calculated using POCUS as a gold standard. Concordance between RTMUS and available transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and computed tomography (CT) scans was also reported. RESULTS: Twenty patients were enrolled. Concordance between RTMUS and POCUS was good (90%-100%) for left ventricle function, right ventricle (RV) dilatation/dysfunction, pericardial effusion, lung sliding, pulmonary interstitial syndrome, pleural effusion, and fair (80%) for lung consolidation. Concordance between RTMUS and TTE or CT was similar. RTMUS was highly specific (88%-100%) for all abnormalities evaluated and highly sensitive (89%-100%) for most abnormalities although sensitivity for the detection of RV dilatation/dysfunction (33%) and pulmonary interstitial syndrome (71%) was negatively impacted by false negatives. CONCLUSIONS: RTMUS may be a reasonable substitute for POCUS in the cardiopulmonary evaluation of patients with acute respiratory insufficiency and/or shock. These findings should be validated on a larger scale.

Accuracy of Ultrasonographic Measurements of Inferior Vena Cava to Determine Fluid Responsiveness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Fluid responsiveness is the ability to increase the cardiac output in response to a fluid challenge. Only about 50% of patients receiving fluid resuscitation for acute circulatory failure increase their stroke volume, but the other 50% may worsen their outcome. Therefore, predicting fluid responsiveness is needed. In this purpose, in recent years, the assessment of the inferior vena cava (IVC) through ultrasound (US) has become very popular. The aim of our work was to systematically review all the previously published studies assessing the accuracy of the diameter of IVC or its respiratory variations measured through US in predicting fluid responsiveness. DATA SOURCES: We searched in the MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Web of Science databases for all relevant articles from inception to September 2017. STUDY SELECTION: Included articles specifically addressed the accuracy of IVC diameter or its respiratory variations assessed by US in predicting the fluid responsiveness in critically ill ventilated or not, adult or pediatric patients. DATA EXTRACTION: We included 26 studies that investigated the role of the caval index (IVC collapsibility or distensibility) and 5 studies on IVC diameter. DATA SYNTHESIS: We conducted a meta-analysis for caval index with 20 studies: The pooled area under the curve, logarithmic diagnostic odds ratio, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.46-0.83), 2.02 (95% CI: 1.29-2.89), 0.71 (95% CI: 0.62-0.80), and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.64-0.85), respectively. CONCLUSION: An extreme heterogeneity of included studies was highlighted. Ultrasound evaluation of the diameter of the IVC and its respiratory variations does not seem to be a reliable method to predict fluid responsiveness.

Microcirculation: Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Clinical Application.

This paper briefly reviews the physiological components of the microcirculation, focusing on its function in homeostasis and its central function in the realization of oxygen transport to tissue cells. Its pivotal role in the understanding of circulatory compromise in states of shock and renal compromise is discussed. Our introduction of hand-held vital microscopes (HVM) to clinical medicine has revealed the importance of the microcirculation as a central target organ in states of critical illness and inadequate response to therapy. Technical and methodological developments have been made in hardware and in software including our recent introduction and validation of automatic analysis software called MicroTools, which now allows point-of-care use of HVM imaging at the bedside for instant availability of functional microcirculatory parameters needed for microcirculatory targeted resuscitation procedures to be a reality.

Effect of Changes in Intravascular Volume on Inferior Vena Cava and Aorta Diameters and the Caval/Aorta Index in Healthy Volunteers.

OBJECTIVES: Although inferior vena cava diameter (IVCD) measurement can be useful as a noninvasive method for monitoring the volume status, the benefit of abdominal aorta diameter (AAD) measurement is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the value of the combined use of the IVCD and AAD in blood loss monitoring. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted at the blood donor center of a training and research hospital. Standard blood donation criteria were followed during volunteer enrollment. Vital signs and ultrasound IVCD and AAD measurements were obtained before and after blood donation and after fluid resuscitation with 500 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride. Measurements before and after blood donation and after fluid resuscitation were compared by the paired t and Wilcoxon matched-pair tests. RESULTS: Thirty-nine volunteers were included in the study. With 500 mL of blood loss, percent changes in the shock index (SI; mean ± SD, 7% ± 6%), IVCD (6% ± 2%), and caval/aorta index (IVCD/AAD; 6.1% ± 3%) were similar and were higher (P < .001 for all parameters) than the changes in the pulse rate (3% ± 4%), AAD (0.5% ± 1.5%), systolic blood pressure (3% ± 4%), and diastolic blood pressure (2% ± 7%). Although IVCD and SI values changed significantly (P < .001 for both) after 500 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride resuscitation, no significant change was observed in the IVCD/AAD (P = .059). CONCLUSIONS: The IVCD/AAD, SI, and IVCD may have similar success rates in diagnosing early blood loss. Additionally, the SI and IVCD may be superior to the IVCD/AAD in bleeding patients requiring simultaneous fluid resuscitation.

Fifteen-minute consultation: How to be the paediatrician at a trauma call.

The management of paediatric trauma patients can be complex, involving a coordinated multidisciplinary approach. Paediatricians form an integral part of the trauma team and are often tasked with managing circulation. In this article, we will discuss the assessment of catastrophic haemorrhage and 'circulation' through the viewpoint of a paediatrician via a case discussion. This will include initial investigations and management, noting the time critical nature in identifying and stopping catastrophic haemorrhage. The discussion will comment on how to address hypovolaemic shock and touch on the role of imaging.

What should I use next if clinical evaluation and echocardiographic haemodynamic assessment is not enough?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To provide an integrated clinical approach to the critically ill patients in shock. RECENT FINDINGS: The complexity behind shock mechanism has improved in the last decades; as consequence, conventional generalized practices have been questioned, in favour of different approaches, titrated to patient's individual response. Bedside clinical examination has been demonstrated to be a reliable instrument to recognize the mismatch between cardiac function and peripheral oxygen demand. Mottling skin and capillary refill time have been recently proposed using a semi-quantitative approach as reliable tool to guide shock therapy; lactate, ΔCO2 and ScVO2 are also useful to track the effect of the therapies overtime. Critical care echocardiography is useful to assess the source of the shock, to choice the correct the therapy and to customize the therapy. Finally, a more sophisticated and invasive calibrated monitoring should be promptly adopted in case of refractory or mixed shock state to titrate the therapy on predefined goals, avoiding the inappropriate use of fluids and vasoactive drugs. SUMMARY: Bedside haemodynamic assessment in critically ill patients should be considered an integrated approach supporting the decision-making process and should be based on clinical examination and critical care echocardiography.

Multidetector CT Findings in the Abdomen and Pelvis after Damage Control Surgery for Acute Traumatic Injuries.

After experiencing blunt or penetrating trauma, patients in unstable condition who are more likely to die of uncorrected shock than of incomplete injury repairs undergo emergency limited exploratory laparotomy, which is also known as damage control surgery (DCS). This surgery is part of a series of resuscitation steps, with the goal of stabilizing the patient's condition, with rapid surgical control of hemorrhage followed by supportive measures in the intensive care unit before definitive repair of injuries. These patients often are imaged with multidetector CT within 24-48 hours of the initial surgery. Knowledge of this treatment plan is critical to CT interpretation, because there are anatomic derangements and foreign bodies that would not be present in patients undergoing surgery for other reasons. Patients may have injuries beyond the surgical field that are only identified at imaging, which can alter the care plan. Abnormalities related to the resuscitation period such as the CT hypoperfusion complex and ongoing hemorrhage can be recognized at CT. Familiarity with these imaging and clinical findings is important, because they can be seen not only in trauma patients after DCS but also in other patients in the critical care setting. The interpretation of imaging studies can be helped by an understanding of the diagnostic challenges of grading organ injuries with surgical materials in place and the awareness of potential artifacts on images in these patients. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ©RSNA, 2019 See discussion on this article by LeBedis .

Point-of-care ultrasound with pocket-size devices in emergency department.

Point-of-care ultrasound is a useful tool for clinicians in the management of patients. Particularly in emergency department, the role of point-of-care ultrasound is strongly increasing due to the need for a rapid assessment of critically ill patients and to speed up the diagnostic process. Hand-carried ultrasound devices are particularly useful in emergency setting and allow rapid assessment of patient even in prehospital setting. This article will review the role of point-of-care ultrasonography, performed with pocket-size devices, in the management of patients presenting with acute onset of undifferentiating dyspnea, chest pain, and shock in emergency department.

The role of Neonatologist Performed Echocardiography in the assessment and management of neonatal shock.

One of the major challenges of neonatal intensive care is the early detection and management of circulatory failure. Routine clinical assessment of the hemodynamic status of newborn infants is subjective and inaccurate, emphasizing the need for objective monitoring tools. An overview will be provided about the use of neonatologist-performed echocardiography (NPE) to assess cardiovascular compromise and guide hemodynamic management. Different techniques of central blood flow measurement, such as left and right ventricular output, superior vena cava flow, and descending aortic flow are reviewed focusing on methodology, validation, and available reference values. Recommendations are provided for individualized hemodynamic management guided by NPE.

Introduction to neonatologist-performed echocardiography.

Cardiac ultrasound techniques are increasingly used in the neonatal intensive care unit to guide cardiorespiratory care of the sick newborn. This is the first in a series of eight review articles discussing the current status of "neonatologist-performed echocardiography" (NPE). The aim of this introductory review is to discuss four key elements of NPE. Indications for scanning are summarized to give the neonatologist with echocardiography skills a clear scope of practice. The fundamental physics of ultrasound are explained to allow for image optimization and avoid erroneous conclusions from artifacts. To ensure patient safety during echocardiography recommendations are given to prevent cardiorespiratory instability, hypothermia, infection, and skin lesions. A structured approach to echocardiography, with the same standard views acquired in the same sequence at each scan, is suggested in order to ensure that the neonatologist confirms normal structural anatomy or acquires the necessary images for a pediatric cardiologist to do so when reviewing the scan.

Diagnostic point-of-care ultrasound: applications in obstetric anaesthetic management.

Complications during pregnancy are not frequent, but may occur abruptly. Point-of-care ultrasound is a non-invasive, non-ionising diagnostic tool that is available at the bed-side when complications occur. This review covers the use of ultrasound in various clinical situations. Gastric ultrasound can identify stomach contents that put the woman at risk for pulmonary aspiration. In the future, this tool will probably be used routinely before induction of anaesthesia to determine the presence of stomach contents above a particular risk threshold. Difficult tracheal intubation, and the potential for 'can't intubate, can't oxygenate', is more frequent in pregnant women. Point-of-care ultrasound of the airway allows accurate identification of the cricothyroid membrane, permitting rapid and safer establishment of front-of-neck airway access. Combined cardiac and lung ultrasound can determine the potential risk:benefit of fluid administration in the pregnant patient. Such prediction is of critical importance, given the tendency of pregnant women to develop pulmonary oedema. Combined echocardiography and lung ultrasound can be combined with ultrasound of the leg veins to differentiate between the various causes of acute respiratory failure, and guide treatment in this situation. Finally, as shown in the general population, multi-organ point-of-care ultrasound allows early diagnosis of the main causes of circulatory failure and cardiac arrest at the bed-side. As the importance of point-of-care ultrasound in critical patients is increasingly recognised, it is emerging as an important tool in the therapeutic armoury of obstetric anaesthetists.