Emergency Medicine (Advanced)
5 days
Advanced Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Course (PoCUS)
(RUQ, RUSH, Peripheral Nerves, Truncal Nerves)
ASUM, ACEM, RACGP
Course highlights
- Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ) pain presentations;
- Rapid Ultrasound in Shock Protocol (RUSH) — Heart, Basic Lung, Abdomen, IVC and DVT;
- Peripheral nerves, plexus and plane techniques for regional anaesthesia.
Course Dates
Description
Now that you can scan, it is time to integrate your point-of-care findings into holistic patient care. This course starts with a clinical problem, encourages multisystem scanning and challenges you with real-case based discussions. It is not for the beginner.
You will spend two days honing your approach to the hypotensive patient. RUSH is more than just finding a mechanism for hypotension, it is about assessing the capacity of multiple systems to cope with ongoing demand.
Right upper quadrant is so much more than gallbladder and common bile duct. It is the gateway to the thorax. Expand your RUQ protocol to screen for heart, lung, renal, and even bowel pathology.
Day four introduces you to upper and lower limb nerve blocks, with needling practice and hints to optimise your tip visualisation.
Day five extends your regional anaesthesia techniques to include the higher order truncal and plane blocks.
Objectives
The objectives of this emergency medicine ultrasound course are:
- The Bayesian approach to point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) for appropriate management decisions;
- Identify the physical principles, artefacts and the steps for image optimisation while performing ultrasound;
- Practice hands-on ultrasound scanning skills to answer relevant clinical questions;
- Recognise the sonographic appearances of normal and abnormal structures in common clinical scenarios;
- Perform eFAST, AAA, Biliary Tract, BELS, Proximal Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT), Nerve and plane recognition;
- Apply the RUSH protocol in the clinical field, with pathology and variants illustrated in case based learning;
- Describe the limitations of ultrasound and safe application of ultrasound in medical diagnosis and management.
Prerequisites
The prior ultrasound experience assumed for this course is highlighted below.
| None/Minimal | Don’t use ultrasound |
| Limited | Use ultrasound weekly/monthly |
| Moderate/Experienced | Use ultrasound daily/weekly |
Accreditation
ASUM
ASUMCCPU units included in the course:
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
- Extended Focused Abdominal Scan for Trauma (eFAST)
- Focused Echocardiography in Life Support (FELS)
- Proximal DVT
- Renal Hydronephrosis & Calculi
- Biliary
- Distal Brachial Plexus Block: Infraclavicular/Axillary
- Proximal Brachial Plexus Block: Supraclavicular/Interscalene
- Upper Limb Peripheral Nerve Blocks
- Erector Spinae Plane Block
- Serratus Anterior Plane Block
- Fascia Iliaca and Femoral Nerve Block
ACEM
ACEMApproved for Educational Activities 37.75 hours.
RACGP
RACGPCPD Accredited Activity under RACGP 2023-25 CPD program. Approved for Educational Activities 8 hours, Reviewing Performance 27.5 hours, specific requirements diagnostic radiology, 5 days Anaesthetics, Obstetrics, Surgery and 3 days Emergency Medicine training grants. Provider Number 214288, Activity ID 414704.
HOURS
| Theoretical | 10.5 |
| Practical | 22.75 |
| Total | 33.25 |
CATERING
Morning tea, a light lunch and refreshments are provided each day.