Day 2 AM

This AM was our Ultrasound workshop.  Truly a terrific experience. I had done a sort of FAST exam at school, I now know I was doing most of it wrong. And honestly, did I even actually SEE anything when I did them before? Eh, probably not.

Clearly not. (Is US ever really clear???) No, I think not. But now I have a few more things I can add.

There were pearls galore. Again, while I think I learned a lot, I won't actually know until I hear it some place later and can pull it into my brain to utilize in practice.

So, our US lecture was...amazing, What a great learning experience it was.

Yes, I am over my head. I just graduated...but what I do know is when someone can teach. These people can really teach and enjoy teaching. Patient? Kind? all in huge measure.

So a few pearls....again, I am positive I am not getting all of them in, but that's just how it is. The immense amount of information is just that.

• US is pattern recognition and therefore, practice makes perfect.
• US answers specific questions
• Hi freq=Higher resolution
• Lo freq = increased tissue penetration
• Buttons? Don't let 'em scare you. In the ED you don't need most of them
• Make sure you have the right probe and the right setting
• Look for your indicator- your probe should be in line with that. Usually, indicator towards head, or pt right side. Only exception is when you're doing an IJ (or at the head of the bed)
• BART for flow. Don't assume that blue is venus ever.
• Full bladder? Acoustic window. Sound transmits better.
• Shadow artifact? Can be helpful  or "really make you angry!"
• Stones have an initial shadow maybe, but when you fan or move the probe, there is no longer a shadow
• "Getting good images is the first step for getting good info!"
• FAST Exam answers 4 questions
• pneumothorax
• hematoperineum
• hemothorax
• pericardial effusion
• Most important question answered is "WHY IS MY PATIENT IN SHOCK?"
• Anything other than an extended FAST is an incomplete FAST
• FAST is part of the primary survey. It is nothing more, and nothing less. 

This is our first station this AM- US guide for CL placement. Terrible picture of a great station. Now I want to use US for everything.

This is also a horrid picture, but what used to just be grey lines is now beginning to make some semblance of sense to me. Maybe...

A few minutes after lunch, one of us decided the sun was just too warm and nice to not take advantage!

Truly, our fearless leader, doing the mandatory safety lecture before cadaver lab.

Before cadaver lab. Everyone still looks fresh, and still smells GREAT!