Most novice users of POCUS are under the impression that inferior vena cava (IVC) ultrasound is very easy and it gives all the information about a patient’s volume status. Unfortunately, both are wrong. Proper identification of IVC can…
Point-of-care ultrasound has garnered much attention in nephrology recently. However, there remains a high barrier for entry with significant kinesthetic and cognitive knowledge required to obtain and interpreting limited ultrasounds. Practical knowledge in building infrastructure for machine acquisition…
M-mode, or the motion mode is used to image moving structures and measure their degree of motion over time. While we use it as an adjunct to 2-dimensional echocardiography (= regular greyscale ultrasound), M-mode has actually been used…
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) refers to the use of portable ultrasonography at a patient’s bedside for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. At the 2-day Point-of-Care Ultrasound Immersion Course, attendees receive 12-hours of instruction in ultrasonography techniques using pocket-sized, handheld ultrasound…
Apical window is a component of the standard FoCUS examination and is mainly used for the assessment of right ventricular systolic function, and its size relative to the left ventricle. It is also best for the Doppler interrogation…
Parasternal short axis (PSAX) view is the cross-sectional view of the heart. The image acquisition, sonographic anatomy and the key pathologies seen in this view are discussed below. How is the exam performed? The transducer selection and the…
Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a complex clinical entity that encompasses multiple interactions between the heart and kidney. Ronco and colleagues classified CRS into five types. Below, we’ll focus on CRS type 1, or acute cardiac dysfunction (such as…
Why should nephrologists perform lung ultrasonography? Determination of volume status is a frequent challenge faced by nephrologists in routine clinical practice and errors in this assessment may result in inappropriate therapy and potentially adverse patient outcomes. Lung ultrasound…
Check out these 10 videos by Abhilash Koratala, MD, FASN from the University of Florida on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS): Introduction to Ultrasound Point-of-Care Renal Ultrasonography POCUS of the Lung, Inferior Vena Cava, & Heart Case Studies in Renal…
