Introduction to POCUS.
An introduction to point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS).
About this course.
This course provides a brief overview of the value of POCUS, and the importance of good scanning technique. Review basic scanning techniques, including proper hand position, movements, compression, preset selection, gain adjustments, and image labelling. This is a great course for any new POCUS user.
Key concepts.
- Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can provide rapid, non-invasive, valuable information across a broad range of clinical applications.
- Proper ultrasound scanning technique is essential to acquiring quality images for interpretation.
- Scan structures in two orthogonal (perpendicular) planes.
- If the structure you're evaluating is moving (i.e. heart, lung), acquire your view and then keep the probe still to interpret the image.
- If the structure you're evaluating is (mostly) staying still (liver, gallbladder, aorta), acquire your view and then be sure to fan the probe through the entire structure to fully interrogate the area of interest.
The information herein is not a substitute for professional clinician training and experience and may not include all possible patient to patient variations. Clinicians are solely responsible for patient care and for exercising their independent clinical judgment at all times.