Critical Care Medicine — Core of Discipline

C7 Performing Point-of-Care ultrasound

Key Features:
- This EPA includes selection, performance and interpretation of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to guide the assessment and ongoing management of patients.
- Image acquisition is required for each observation of achievement.
- Lung studies include assessment for normal lung, B-lines, pleural effusions, consolidation and the presence or absence of lung sliding.
- Cardiac studies include assessment of global cardiac function, pericardial effusions, right ventricular size and function and inferior vena cava variability.
- Abdominal studies are limited to the assessment for ascites.

Assessment Plan:
Direct observation and/or review of images by supervisor
Use Form 2. Form collects information on
- POCUS study: lung; cardiac and volume status; abdominal
Collect 15 observations of achievement
- At least 5 lung studies
- At least 5 cardiac and volume status studies
- At least 5 abdominal studies

Form

F2: Procedure

Milestones

• ME 3.4. Adjust instrument settings appropriately to optimize image quality

• ME 3.4. Obtain standard views

• ME 2.2. Recognize clinically significant findings in a POCUS examination

Context Variables

• POCUS study (single-choice)
  • lung
  • abdominal
  • cardiac and volume status

Requirements

• Collect 15 observations of achievement (minimum 15)
• At least 5 lung studies (minimum 5)
  • Only counts when POCUS study is lung
• At least 5 cardiac and volume status studies (minimum 5)
  • Only counts when POCUS study is cardiac and volume status
• At least 5 abdominal studies (minimum 5)
  • Only counts when POCUS study is abdominal