About Brian Lentz, MD, MS

Emergency Medicine Resident
Department of Emergency Medicine
Highland General Hospital

IDEA Series: Handheld Ultrasound for Emergency Medicine Residents Rotating on Cardiology Services

US System

Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) has become an essential skill that emergency medicine (EM) residents learn during their training [1]. Accordingly, most EM programs schedule a block early in residency dedicated to obtaining and interpreting high-quality PoCUS images. Likewise, the ability to efficiently diagnose and manage acute cardiovascular pathologies is a critical aspect of EM, and most EM residents also rotate on a cardiology service to develop these skills. Despite evidence that PoCUS improves the ability of both cardiologists and non-cardiologists to quickly diagnose cardiac disease at the bedside, integration of this relatively novel technology on cardiology services is often limited by lack of PoCUS availability as well as lack of a convenient platform to share recorded images [2]. Equipping EM residents on cardiology rotations with a portable, handheld ultrasound (US) system (Figure 1. Philips Lumify handheld US system with tablet) can enhance the learning of echocardiography acquisition and interpretation while simultaneously providing cardiology teams with clinically actionable information [3]. In addition to improving patient care, performing and interpreting PoCUS from the lens of a cardiologist is a simple yet innovative way to solidify the skills that are crucial to becoming an excellent bedside echocardiographer.

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By Brian Lentz, MD, MS|2021-02-03T21:14:52-08:00Feb 5, 2021|IDEA series, Medical Education, Ultrasound|

IDEA Series: Big Screen Ultrasound in Resuscitation Bays

Bedside ultrasound (US) often plays a crucial role in medical and trauma resuscitations in the emergency department (ED) [1]. Performing and interpreting bedside US studies such as the Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (E-FAST) during traumas or echocardiography during medical resuscitations are key skills for emergency medicine residents to learn during their training and adopt into clinical practice [2]. During trauma resuscitations timely and efficient dissemination of critical information is paramount. Information obtained via bedside US can be critical in determining further clinical actions (need for urgent thoracostomy for a pneumothorax, need for urgent exploratory laparotomy in a hypotensive patient with free fluid in the abdomen, etc.) through shared decision making between ED and trauma teams [3]. Information obtained via bedside US, however, is often difficult to convey during resuscitations given crowded rooms, simultaneous interventions, and limited viewing of the US screen. For ED and trauma providers wishing to better understand the utility of bedside US during resuscitations and how this powerful tool can change clinical management, a clearly visualized representation of what is displayed on the US screen could provide an ideal learning opportunity.

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By Brian Lentz, MD, MS|2020-07-17T10:35:07-07:00Jul 24, 2020|IDEA series, Medical Education, Ultrasound|