Over the last several decades, the technological advances in ultrasound
have been staggering. Ultrasound is now widely available as an affordable,
safe, portable, versatile, and high-quality imaging tool for diagnostic and
procedural guidance across a wide variety of specialties.
However, ultrasound remains a user-dependent technology.
This technology can only be effective when used by people who understand
what it can do as well as its limitations.
The
uses of ultrasound in the critical care and emergency setting share many
aspects—both critical care and emergency medicine involve the care of
patients with a broad array of potentially life-threatening conditions that
can be diagnosed using ultrasound and aided with ultrasound-guided
procedures.
The purpose of this manual is to
serve as an easily accessible, practical guide for point-of-care ultrasound
use in both the critical care and emergency department setting. We hope that
emergency and critical care providers will be stimulated to learn more,
deepen their knowledge of sonography, and broaden their use of ultrasound to
improve the care of their patients.