109560 - Basic Echocardiography in Life Support

This two-day program, which is constantly revised to reflect current practice, is designed for physicians interested in ultrasound techniques useful in life threatening scenarios. This intensive program provides participants with tuition in basic physical principles, understanding of sonographic planes, terminology, measurements and probe manipulation skills, along with techniques involved in ultrasound Basic Echo in Life Support and Lung ultrasound, the "LCI approach" (lung, cardiac and IVC). There is an emphasis on the practical aspects of these topics with comprehensive "hands-on" tuition, led by expert sonographers. Low student/tutor ratios ensure comprehensive practical tuition in a personalized fashion. For practitioners who aim to be accredited by the Australian Society for Ultrasound in Medical Practice (ASUM), this workshop covers the following Certificate of Clinical Performed Ultrasound (CCPU) units: physics, lung and basic echocardiography in life support (BELS).

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is a real-time non-invasive imaging modality for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of cardiac anatomy and function [1,2]. Transthoracic echocardiography provides tomographic imaging through four main cardiac windows. Extensive echocardiographic examination mainly comprises of imaging the heart from multiple orientation planes. Basic echocardiography in life support (BELS), rapid cardiac ultrasound (RCE), focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) and rapid ultrasound in shock (RUSH) are examples of cardiac protocol suggested to assessment critically ill patients presenting with unknown shock. A thorough assessment and fluid resuscitation is paramount in patients with reversible shock. Basic cardiac ultrasound training provides to general practitioners, emergency medicine and critical care physicians the knowhow to perform hemodynamic measurements and diagnosis of the most common causes of cardiogenic shock [3-5].