Research Assessment #4

Date:​ October 10, 2018

Subject:​ Ultrasound in Emergency Medicine

MLA or APA citation:

“An Evidence-Based Approach To Emergency Ultrasound.” ​Emergency Ultrasound​,

www.ebmedicine.net/topics.php?paction=showTopic&topic_id=252​.

and

“Why Ultrasound Use Became Very Common In Emergency Rooms?” ​Frontline ER,​ 15 Feb.

2018, frontlineer.com/emergency-rooms-offer-ultrasound-services/.

Analysis:

On one of my recent interview, an Emergency Doctor revealed to me the

important and expanding role that the Ultrasound has taken on in the Emergency Room

to better accommodate their patients’ needs. Prior to this interview, I was completely

unaware able the crucial function of an ultrasound. I had no idea that this skill has

become so common that there has been in development of certain training programs

that specifically address and teach ultrasound skills. It is now required for residents to

demonstrate proficiency in this skill through these course before completing their

training in residents.

Aside from mastering ultrasound, I also discovered residents also have to develop

many other skills that they utilize in the Emergency Room. If I truly want to become an

emergency doctor in the future I need to be able to read electrocardiograms. This is in

my benefit because this year in High School I am taking an EKG course that gives me a

CET certification(Certified EKG Technician), which enable me to read

electrocardiograms. If I develop this skill early on then I will be well prepared for my

future career.

Even Though using ultrasound machines improves patient quality and safety

while also decreasing the patients stay in the Emergency Room many emergency doctors

are unfamiliar with this incredible tool. I started by learning what functions an

ultrasound machine can provide of an ER. One of the main benefits I uncovered, is that

an ultrasound can help diagnose problems in the body by giving images from inside the

body without the need to make incisions into the patient. However, I was surprised to

find out what this technology was initially used only for trauma patients to see how

critical there conditions were. Nowadays, the ultrasound machine has a heavy role as it

assists doctors in the diagnosis of many different conditions making the ER more

efficient for its patients.

It was also revealed to me that ultrasounds started being implemented more

commonly into the Emergency Room when the concept of triage came into play. Triage

is basically the process of prioritizing the patients based on how severe their conditions

are. This greatly affected the use of the ultrasound because it enabled doctors to

determine how serious the situation was in an efficient manner and with the

information be able to properly treat the patient. The ultrasound technology is just one

component that makes the Emergency Room a successful place.

Article starts on page 3 and ends on page 4.

 An Evidence-Based Approach To Emergency Ultrasound

Emergency ultrasound (EUS) continues to develop and expand and is now a core skill in

the clinical practice of emergency medicine. The Accreditation Council for Graduate

Medical Education (ACGME) ​training programs now require residents to demonstrate

competency in the use of Emergency Ultrasound prior to completing their residency

training. Thus, graduating emergency medicine residents are now expected to perform

and interpret focused EUS studies as well as they are able to read electrocardiograms

and manage emergent airways. With increased focus on patient safety and emergency

department (ED) crowding, more and more EDs have purchased ultrasound machines

in hopes of ​improving patient safety and quality of care and decreasing lengths of stay in

the ED. ​Anecdotal stories of the benefits of bedside ultrasound (BUS) abound, yet many

emergency clinicians are not familiar with its numerous applications or the body of

literature regarding its use.

Do Emergency Rooms Offer Ultrasound Services?

Do emergency rooms offer ultrasound services? Do emergency rooms have the equipment necessary

for ultrasound examination? These are some of the most common questions patients ask in online

forums and through emails written to emergency rooms.

An ultrasound scan is a medical test that uses high frequency sounds waves to capture and provide

images from inside the body. The technology allows doctors to diagnose problems with various body

organs, vessels and tissues without necessarily making incisions.

Ultrasounds Scans in Emergency Rooms
Ultrasound technology is very prominent in emergency rooms and it has helped doctors diagnose

and treat a plethora of infections. ​Initially, this technology was used solely in the evaluation of

trauma patients to determine how serious the injuries were.

Thanks to its efficiency though, ultrasound technology soon started featuring prominently in other

areas. Its use was expanded to include a number of both diagnostic and procedural applications. One

of the main reason why ultrasound use became very common in emergency rooms was the

introduction of triage. ​Triage fueled ultrasound’s use because emergency rooms needed to quickly

diagnose patients to determine how serious their infections were.

Ultrasound provides very accurate images and provides live images which makes it very quick. This

means that physicians and nurses can be ​able to quickly get the information they require to assess a

patient’s medical condition in seconds and provide the necessary medication.

Furthermore, almost every single emergency room physician can be able to safely, quickly and

accurately use ultrasound technology and obtain the desired results. This ease of use gives

ultrasound technology an edge over the other technologies and it is not surprising that it features so

prominently in emergency rooms.

Procedures which proved difficult in the past, were made easier thanks to ultrasound technology.

Complex procedures such as pericardiocentesis, paracentesis, thoracostomy and detection of foreign

bodies were made easier with ultrasound imaging.

As far as diagnostic screening is concerned, ultrasound technology is used in 4 main areas;

Abdominal, pelvic, cardiac and trauma examination.