Diagnostic Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Educational Resources

Last updated: 02/12/2024

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Yuriy Bronshteyn, MD, FASE, Duke University Health System

Yuriy Bronshteyn, MD, FASE, Duke University Health System

OpenAnesthesia.org POCUS Case of the Month Series
1. Focused Cardiac Ultrasound (aka Basic Cardiac POCUS)
2. Gastric: new cases forthcoming every other month starting March 2024
OA Summaries related to POCUS
1. Principles of ultrasound
2. Lung ultrasound
3. Gastric ultrasound
4. Inferior vena cava ultrasound
5. Bladder ultrasound
Recommended Reading
1. Focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS)
  1. Via G, Hussain A, Wells M, et al. International evidence-based recommendations for focused cardiac ultrasound. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2014;27(7): 683.e1-683.e33. PubMed A seminal paper co-authored by 16 professional medical societies that defines FoCUS, explains how FoCUS is distinctly different from transthoracic echocardiography, and provides evidence-based recommendations on the scope of practice of FoCUS.
  2. Zimmerman JM, Coker BJ. The nuts and bolts of performing focused cardiovascular ultrasound (FoCUS). Anesth Analg. 2017; 124(3): 753-60. PubMed A detailed review of the basic techniques of image acquisition for FoCUS.
2. Lung Ultrasonography
  1. Volpicelli G, Elbarbary M, Blaivas M, et al. International evidence-based recommendations for point-of-care lung ultrasound. Intensive Care Med. 2012; 38(4): 577-91. PubMed A foundational paper describing evidence-based applications and limitations of lung ultrasound.
3. Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) Exam for Anesthesiologists
  1. Manson WC, Kirskey M, Boublik J, et al. Focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) for the regional anesthesiologist and pain specialist. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2019; 44(5): 540-8. PubMed A narrative review describing the basics of the FAST exam, including image acquisition, sonoanatomy, and interpretation for the anesthesiologist in the perioperative setting.
4. Gastric Ultrasonography
  1. Perlas A, Arzola C, Van de Putte P. Point-of-care gastric ultrasound and aspiration assessment: a narrative review. Can J Anaesth. 2018; 65(4): 437-48. PubMed A narrative review describing the basics of image acquisition and interpretation of gastric ultrasound. As explained in the paper, gastric ultrasound is NOT intended to replace existing ASA fasting guidelines, but to help providers in situations where existing guidelines defer to clinical judgement to determine whether to treat a patient as requiring full-stomach precautions. In other words, gastric POCUS should only be used in pre-operative evaluation when the pre-test probability of full stomach is indeterminate based on the clinical history. Gastric POCUS should NOT be used to determine aspiration risk in situations where the pre-test probability of full stomach is close to 0% or 100%.
Web-based curricula
1. Duke University Diagnostic POCUS Curriculum Link A free, interactive curriculum geared towards anesthesiologists that covers diagnostic POCUS image acquisition and interpretation of the following organ systems:
  1. focused cardiac;
  2. lung;
  3. gastric; and
  4. abdominal free fluid (in the trauma setting: Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma exam [FAST exam]) Additionally, the curriculum includes three optional modules covering diagnostic POCUS applications relevant to critical care medicine:
    1. renal/genitourinary;
    2. proximal lower extremity screening for deep vein thrombosis; and
    3. review of ICU-relevant diagnostic POCUS guidelines.
2. University of Utah Online Point-of-Care Ultrasound Curriculum Link A free, web-based curriculum that covers POCUS image acquisition and interpretation of the following organ systems:
  1. focused cardiac;
  2. lung;
  3. gastric; and
  4. proximal lower extremity for deep vein thrombosis
3. GastricUltrasound.org Link A free, web-based curriculum that covers image acquisition and interpretation of gastric ultrasound. As explained in these modules, gastric ultrasound is NOT intended to replace existing ASA fasting guidelines, but to help providers in situations where existing guidelines defer to clinical judgement to determine whether to treat a patient as requiring full-stomach precautions. In other words, gastric POCUS should only be used in pre-operative evaluation when the pre-test probability of full stomach is indeterminate based on the clinical history. Gastric POCUS should NOT be used to determine aspiration risk in situations where the pre-test probability of full stomach is close to 0% or 100%.
4. TheICUdoc Link Free, web-based video series covering heart and lung ultrasound.