Curriculum · POCUS
Clinical Ultrasound: Multisystem Diagnostic & Point-of-Care Sonography
The clinical capstone — applying the physics at the bedside across every major system: focused cardiac, lung/pleura, abdomen and aorta, vascular, and obstetric. Built on real, de-identified, freely-licensed cine loops you scan, freeze, optimize, and measure yourself, plus live 3D anatomy. Serves residents (EM, IM, critical care, cardiology, radiology, OB) and sonography students.
6 lessons · ~240 min · level: advanced
- 1The Scanning Toolkit: Transducers, Orientation & Image Optimization~35 minChoosing the probe and preset, establishing orientation (indicator/screen marker and scanning planes), and driving the four optimization controls — depth, focus, gain/TGC, and dynamic range — with ALARA, thermal index, and mechanical index.
- 2Focused Cardiac Ultrasound (FoCUS) & Echocardiography~45 minThe five cardiac windows; qualitative LV function and EF (fractional shortening, Simpson's biplane, ASE ranges); pericardial effusion vs tamponade with IVC integration; and valvular regurgitation on color Doppler.
- 3Lung & Pleural Ultrasound and the BLUE Protocol~40 minReading the lung by its artifacts: pleural line, A-lines, lung sliding (seashore vs barcode), B-lines and interstitial syndrome, the lung point (pneumothorax), pleural effusion — assembled into the BLUE protocol for acute dyspnea.
- 4Abdominal & Aortic Sonography: Aorta/AAA, Renal & FAST~40 minThe abdominal aorta and AAA (measuring outer-to-outer AP diameter, thresholds, screening), renal survey and hydronephrosis grading, and the FAST exam windows for free fluid.
- 5Vascular Ultrasound: Carotid Duplex & Venous Compression (DVT)~40 minCarotid duplex — gray-scale IMT/plaque, spectral PSV/EDV, and the SRU stenosis criteria with angle correction — and venous compression ultrasound for DVT with waveform phasicity.
- 6Obstetric & First-Trimester Ultrasound: Dating, Biometry & Safety~40 minFirst-trimester landmarks (GS/YS/CRL) and dating accuracy, biometry (BPD, HC, AC, FL) and estimated fetal weight, fetal cardiac screening planes, and OB-specific ALARA/TI/MI safety.