Portable ultrasound in disaster triage: a focused review.

Ultrasound technology has become ubiquitous in modern medicine. Its applications span the assessment of life-threatening trauma or hemodynamic conditions, to elective procedures such as image-guided peripheral nerve blocks. Sonographers have utilized ultrasound techniques in the pre-hospital setting, emergency departments, operating rooms, intensive care units, outpatient clinics, as well as during mass casualty and disaster management. Currently available ultrasound devices are more affordable, portable, and feature user-friendly interfaces, making them well suited for use in the demanding situation of a mass casualty incident (MCI) or disaster triage. We have reviewed the existing literature regarding the application of sonology in MCI and disaster scenarios, focusing on the most promising and practical ultrasound-based paradigms applicable in these settings.

From FAST to E-FAST: an overview of the evolution of ultrasound-based traumatic injury assessment.

Ultrasound is a ubiquitous and versatile diagnostic tool. In the setting of acute injury, ultrasound enhances the basic trauma evaluation, influences bedside decision-making, and helps determine whether or not an unstable patient requires emergent procedural intervention. Consequently, continued education of surgeons and other acute care practitioners in performing focused emergency ultrasound is of great importance. This article provides a synopsis of focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) and the extended FAST (E-FAST) that incorporates basic thoracic injury assessment. The authors also review key pitfalls, limitations, controversies, and advances related to FAST, E-FAST, and ultrasound education.

Clinician-performed ultrasound in hemodynamic and cardiac assessment: a synopsis of current indications and limitations.

Accurate hemodynamic and intravascular volume status assessment is essential in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of critically ill patients. Over the last two decades, a number of technological advances were translated into a variety of minimally invasive or non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring modalities. Despite the promise of less invasive technologies, the quality, reliability, reproducibility, and generalizability of resultant hemodynamic and intravascular volume status data have been lacking. Since its formal introduction, ultrasound technology has provided the medical community with a more standardized, higher quality, broadly applicable, and reproducible method of accomplishing the above-mentioned objectives. With the advent of portable, hand-carried devices, the importance of sonography in hemodynamic and volume status assessment became clear. From basic venous collapsibility and global cardiac assessment to more complex tasks such as the assessment of cardiac flow and tissue Doppler signals, the number of real-life indications for sonology continues to increase. This review will provide an outline of the essential ultrasound applications in hemodynamic and volume status assessment, focusing on evidence-based uses and indications.

Ultrasound in medical education: listening to the echoes of the past to shape a vision for the future.

PURPOSE: Ultrasound in medical education has seen a tremendous growth over the last 10-20 years but ultrasound technology has been around for hundreds of years and sound has an even longer scientific history. The development of using sound and ultrasound to understand our body and our surroundings has been a rich part of human history. From the development of materials to produce piezoelectric conductors, ultrasound has been used and improved in many industries and medical specialties. METHODS: As diagnostic medical ultrasound has improved its resolution and become more portable, various specialties from radiology, cardiology, obstetrics and more recently emergency, critical care and proceduralists have found the added benefits of using ultrasound to safely help patients. The past advancements in technology have established the scaffold for the possibilities of diagnostic ultrasound's use in the present and future. RESULTS: A few medical educators have integrated ultrasound into medical school while a wealth of content exists online for learning ultrasound. Twenty-first century learners prefer blended learning where material can be reviewed online and personalize the education on their own time frame. This material combined with hands-on experience and mentorship can be used to develop learners' aptitude in ultrasound. CONCLUSIONS: As educators embrace this ultrasound technology and integrate it throughout the medical education journey, collaboration across specialties will synthesize a clear path forward when needs and resources are paired with vision and a strategic plan.