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Recent Posts
How does bedside ultrasound compare to physical examination in the diagnosis of tendon injuries?
Background
Bedside ultrasound can be used to diagnose full and partial tendon disruptions and can be especially useful in patients who are unable to provide history or otherwise participate in their own care (1). Numerous studies have previously reported the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing full and partial t...
Does adding M-mode to B-mode improve accuracy in diagnosing pneumothorax?
Background
Ultrasound has been shown to be superior to supine chest x-ray in the diagnosis of pneumothorax, with one recent systematic review demonstrating 91% sensitivity using ultrasound compared to 50% using chest x-ray.1 CT scan remains the gold standard in diagnosis but is often not feasible in unstable trauma pat...
Can Junior EPs Use E-Point Septal Separation to Accurately Estimate Left Ventricular Function?
Background
Point-of-care echocardiography can provide a rapid and accurate assessment of left ventricular function, which is valuable in differentiating causes of hypotension and dyspnea at bedside. Visual estimation of LV function by experienced practitioners has been shown to correlate well with quantitative estimate...
Case 27: Ectopic Pregnancy
A 43 year old female with no past medical history presents to the Emergency Department (ED) with lower abdominal pain for the last three hours. She says she knows she is pregnant from a home pregnancy test, but has not had any appointment with obstetrics and has not had an ultrasound yet. She denies any vaginal bleedin...
Serratus Anterior Plane Block for Thoracic Wall Pain
Background
The serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) is a field block that provides analgesia from T2 to T9 dermatomes of the hemithorax by anesthetizing the lateral cutaneous branches of the intercostal nerves in that area. It was first described in a 2013 study demonstrating long-lasting thoracic-wall...
Rapid Fire Ultrasound: How to Use the GE Venue
Dr. Matt Mason and Dr. Medak discuss how to use the GE Venue ultrasound, both basic functions and more advanced modes.
Basics of GE Venue machine - 0:00-2:28
Step-by-step of how to perform an ultrasound exam - 2:28-9:18
Advanced functions - 9:18-end
Case 26: Genicular Nerve Block for Knee Pain – A Novel Technique
A 68 year old female with no significant past medical history presents to the Emergency Department (ED) with one day of right knee pain after falling off her bicycle onto her right side. She was immediately unable to bear weight on her right leg.
Vitals: T 98.3, HR 73, RR 18, BP 114/70, SpO2 99%
Rig...
Erector Spinae Nerve Block for Abdominal Pain – A Case for Better Analgesia
Background
In the age of the opioid epidemic, there is a need for multi-modal pain control techniques, and nerve blocks will likely be an increasingly important piece of the puzzle, particularly in the Emergency Department. Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks for musculoskeletal complaints are now standard practice f...