Saving Brainspace with POCUS
February 8th, 2018
Another pearl from Dr. Gordon regarding scanning the testes: When one testicle shows no flow or much reduced flow on the painful side, torsion is likely. In this patient the presentation was not as acute as expected of torsion. Scrotal U/S showed increased flow on the painful side and the painful testicle was also larger […]
Editor’s note: Testicular torsion is a scary condition that we can’t afford to miss. It cannot be diagnosed on history and physical alone in almost 50% of cases so ultrasound is crucial to decision-making. POCUS can be extremely helpful in detecting the torted testis but it is important to understand that a partially torted, or […]
A few of us (@thomas1973, @mikegreenway, @broomedocs) were discussing on Twitter the use of POCUS/EDE to look for a widened symphysis pubis in the setting of major trauma. We were wondering if there is any literature to back that up. I found one article in the EDE database. Bauman et al published their article titled […]
At the course and in the book, we suggest that physicians should be wary of important neighboring structures. Even with EDE/POCUS guidance for abscesses, this is still a pitfall. I recently saw a young male who is an IV drug abuser. Yes, we do have those in Sudbury! He had injected himself and developed an […]
The biggest obstacle to beginners embracing POCUS is the initial effort required to master basic skills. Most learners complete an introductory course that takes a day or two. This is followed by supervised scanning sessions and examinations to meet the required numbers and proficiency to be “certified” to apply the skill independently. This can require […]
I really don’t like doing an I&D and then finding nothing or no pus anyway. I find it helpful to know just where the pus is, where it goes, if there’s something else besides pus, or if it needs serious surgical intervention. Once I looked at neck swelling that didn’t look too horrible but the […]
That’s right! You can use POCUS in the workup of the patient with suspected infectious mononucleosis. So say Drs. Sarah Farukhi and JC Fox from UC Irvine. They published their case report in the latest issue of CUJO, the Critical Ultrasound Journal. These are cases that we see all the time. Mid-late teens. Exudative pharyngitis. […]
I am happy to announce the third annual EDE 3 course! There has been a lot of demand for a Canadian location for the course so it’s going to be a ski vacation this time around. It will be held at the Delta Sun Peaks resort in Sun Peaks British Columbia Feb 2-3 2015. Sun […]
We see LOTS of kidney stones in Sudbury. I’d swear that they mostly contain nickel and not calcium! About 5 years ago, I saw a 31-year-old patient with renal colic. I looked up their medical records on the computer. They had had 12 (!) CT scans in the previous 2 years. Can we do better? […]
With POCUS we teach beginners to focus on the most basic knobology, physics, and imaging of the area that will answer their simple clinical question. When mastering the FAST scan it’s all about focussing on the free fluid, don’t get distracted by anything else going on. With more experience however, we all start to appreciate […]
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