Perioperative Point-of-Care Ultrasound Use by Anesthesiologists

Abstract

Point-of-Care ultrasound (POCUS) is the bedside utilization of ultrasound, in real-time, to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Image acquisition from POCUS utilization by anesthesiologists involves the assessment of multiple organs in different perioperative situations. POCUS can be utilized to enhance clinical decision-making in a variety of perioperative situations due to its ability to assess endotracheal tube placement, cardiac function, pulmonary function, aspiration risk, hemodynamics, vascular access, and nerve visualization for regional procedures. The mounting clinical evidence for the value of POCUS in perioperative settings, its growing affordability, and its low associated risks are responsible for the nationwide movement across many anesthesiology residency programs to increase the focus on perioperative ultrasound training. The purpose of this review is to present to current anesthesiologists and anesthesiology trainees, a broad discussion regarding the diverse utility and importance of POCUS in perioperative settings.

Point of Care Ultrasound-Diagnostic Approach of an Atypical Negative Pressure Pulmonary Oedema

“…Bedside cardiac, lung, abdominal, gastric, and airway ultrasound have been described. 8 Lung ultrasound has been shown to be a valuable tool in the determination of causes of hypoxia. Normal ultrasound usually presents with lung sliding and A-line patterns and less than 3 B-lines per intercostal space.…”

“…Ultrasound also enabled the exclusion of pneumothorax since we observed lung sliding throughout the fields, B-lines, and lung pulse in combination with the absence of lung point. 8 …”

Aplicaciones actuales de la ultrasonografía en anestesia

“…El bloqueo de nervios periféricos guiado por ecografía es quizás la aplicación más popular utilizada por los anestesiólogos. Podría ser el estándar de oro para la anestesia regional con mayor precisión, al ampliar la capacidad de bloquear los nervios más pequeños y aquellos en ubicaciones anatómicas más difíciles 19,20 .…”

“…De esta forma, una disposición más precisa conduce a un inicio más rápido y duración más prolongada del bloqueo, mejora la calidad del bloqueo, permite la dosificación y/o la reducción de los anestésicos locales. Se ha demostrado que cuando los nervios periféricos son reflejados adecuadamente por ultrasonido, el uso simultáneo del estimulador nervioso no ofrece más ventajas 19,20 .…”

Advancing, strengthening and reshaping obstetric critical care with Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

“…A number of narrative reviews on the application of POCUS perioperatively have been recently published and all of them have portrayed that it has diverse clinical utility and great potential. [ 57 58 ] A recent editorial in the Indian Journal of Anaesthesia (IJA) has highlighted the need to adopt modern strategies to improve the quality of perioperative care. [ 59 ] The use of POCUS in the perioperative setting can be a welcome move in this direction.…”