Ultrasound in Critical Care

OVERVIEW

  • many roles
  • increasing applicability in ICU

CARDIAC ECHO

  • TTE or TOE
  • assessment of structure and function
  • ventricular function
  • tamponade
  • valves
  • Doppler used to assess cardiac output

VASCULAR

  • thoracic and abdominal aorta
  • accessible arteries and veins for cannulation
  • graft flow
  • stenosis
  • patency
  • veins (thrombosis and patency)
  • IVC collapse (assess fluid repsonsiveness)

CRANIAL

  • cerebral blood flow
  • hyperaemia
  • ischaemia
  • brain death
  • detection of vasospasm
  • fat and other emboli
  • stroke related artery reperfusion post thrombolysis

ABDOMINAL

  • bladder identification (urinary retention)
  • biliary anatomy (acalculous cholecystitis)
  • FAST/ Free fluid (e.g. haemorrhage, ascites)
  • pregnancy

CHEST

  • pneumothorax
  • pleural effusion
  • haemothorax
  • pulmonary edema
  • consolidation
  • diaphragmatic function

PROCEDURES

  • vascular access
  • drainage of collections (e.g. abscess, effusions)
  • confirm intubation
  • Lumbar puncture
  • biopsies

OTHER

  • foreign bodies
  • ocular ultrasound
  • peritonsillar abscess
  • fracture reduction

Introduction to ICU Series

CCC 700 6

Critical Care

Compendium

Chris is an Intensivist and ECMO specialist at The Alfred ICU, where he is Deputy Director (Education). He is a Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University, the Lead for the  Clinician Educator Incubator programme, and a CICM First Part Examiner.

He is an internationally recognised Clinician Educator with a passion for helping clinicians learn and for improving the clinical performance of individuals and collectives. He was one of the founders of the FOAM movement (Free Open-Access Medical education) has been recognised for his contributions to education with awards from ANZICS, ANZAHPE, and ACEM.

His one great achievement is being the father of three amazing children.

On Bluesky, he is @precordialthump.bsky.social and on the site that Elon has screwed up, he is @precordialthump.

| INTENSIVE | RAGE | Resuscitology | SMACC

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