POCUS Flashcards
What is one of the most important Pro’s of POCUS?
Improves diagnostic accuracy, which reduces cost and time to diagnosis
What are some of the specific medical conditions POCUS can help diagnose?
- Pericardial Effusion
- Intraperitoneal fluid
- Gallstones
- Hydronephrosis
What is the relationship between Frequency and Wavelength, and how does this relate to POCUS?
Frequency is inversely related to Wavelength.
High Frequency= low WL= shallow tissue depth
Higher frequency= better resolution
Point: Can turn up the frequency to get a better picture, but the depth of your image will be shallow
What is Echogenicity?
ability of a structure to reflect sound waves.
Anechoic- does not reflect back; appears black (fluid)
Hyperechoic- very bright
Accoustic Shadowing
A hyper echoic structure casts a “shadow” behind it because the sound waves cannot get around it.
i.e. Gallstones
Posterior Acoustic Enhancement
Occurs deep to an anechoic structure. Area behind looks brighter than normal.
Edge Artifact
Sound is “bent” around a structure and leaves shadows around it.
Mirror Artifact
See the “mirror” image of the structure on the screen.
Reverberation Artifact
Seen when placing lines. Needle will “vibrate”
Longitudinal scanning
Probe marker is toward the head of the patient.
Transverse scanning
probe marker faces the patients right, similar to a CT.
FAST scan
Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma
Detects intraperitoneal fluid, pericardial fluid, pleura fluid.
What can be seen on the patients right flank?
Morrison’s Pouch between Liver and Kidney
What is the name of the scan used for undifferentiated shock or hypotension?
RUSH(ed) Exam
What structures can be viewed on the patients left flank?
Perisplenic view
Spleen and Kidney
