Over the last decade there has been increasing interest and enthusiasm in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) as an aide to traditional examination techniques in assessing acutely unwell adult patients. However, it currently remains the domain of a relatively small handful of physicians within the UK. There are numerous reasons for this, notably a lack of training pathways and supervisors but also a lack of understanding of the evidence base behind this imaging modality. This review article aims to explore some of the evidence base behind POCUS for a number of medical pathologies, and where possible compare it to evidenced traditional examination techniques. We discuss the issues around training in bedside ultrasound and recommend a push to integrate POCUS training into internal medicine curricula and support trainers to comprehensively deliver this.
IntroductionThe British Thoracic Society (BTS) responded to a call from the pleural community to establish this new Training Standard to detail the capabilities in practice for thoracic ultrasound (TUS), which will build on the previous curricula and extend the remit to include training for the emergency provision of TUS.MethodsBTS convened a working group to produce a set of Training Standards.ResultsThis document provides a comprehensive Training Standard for TUS facilitating timely and improved management of patients with respiratory presentations, particularly (but not exclusively) pleural pathologies.DiscussionThe Training Standards document will be widely disseminated.
We present here a new POCU training curriculum for clinicians looking after the acutely unwell adult medical patient. It is the first UK training standard developed specifically for bedside assessment of the general medicine patient population. Although developed in response to a need within AIM, it is expected to appeal to a wide range of clinicians who are involved in the care of the acutely unwell patient (for example, anyone with a significant general internal medicine commitment). It provides skills in the assessment of patients with respiratory failure, acute kidney injury, those with abdominal free fluid and in suspected DVT. In addition, it will provide the skills for peripheral vascular cannulation under ultrasound guidance. FAMUS accreditation has been approved by the AIM training committee as a specialist skill in ultrasound, and it is hoped in time will become a core part of the AIM curriculum. ■
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