Stories That Inspire Global Impact

ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) cannula guidance in critical care involves using ultrasound to accurately place cannulas for life support. This crucial medical application ensures precise vascular access for patients with severe respiratory or cardiac failure, minimizing complications like vessel injury or malposition. Real-time ultrasound visualization during the procedure enhances safety and efficacy, optimizing patient outcomes…

Veno-venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VV ECMO) is a life-support technique used in Critical Care for patients with severe respiratory failure. It extracts deoxygenated blood from the venous system, oxygenates it externally via an artificial lung, and returns it to the venous system, bypassing the patient's compromised lungs. This method allows the lungs to rest and…

Veno-arterial ECMO (VA-ECMO) is a life-sustaining critical care intervention providing temporary support for severe heart and lung failure. In VA-ECMO, deoxygenated blood is drained from a vein, oxygenated by an external membrane lung, and then returned to an artery, bypassing the heart and lungs. This mechanical circulatory support allows these organs to rest and recover.…

In critical care, hemodynamic monitoring is the continuous assessment of a patient's cardiovascular system to evaluate blood flow, pressure, and oxygen delivery. This vital process uses various tools, from non-invasive blood pressure cuffs to invasive arterial lines and pulmonary artery catheters, providing real-time data on heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance.…

Pericardial tamponade is a life-threatening condition in critical care where excessive fluid accumulates in the pericardial sac, compressing the heart and severely impeding its ability to pump blood. This leads to decreased cardiac output, hypotension, and shock. Rapid diagnosis via point-of-care ultrasound is crucial, revealing diastolic collapse of the right ventricle/atrium and a dilated inferior…

Fluid responsiveness in critical care, particularly through ultrasound, refers to the heart's ability to increase its stroke volume and cardiac output in response to a fluid bolus. This dynamic assessment is crucial for guiding intravenous fluid administration, helping clinicians differentiate between patients who will benefit from additional fluids versus those who may be harmed by…

In Critical Care, the Passive Leg Raise (PLR) is a quick, reversible bedside maneuver used to assess a patient's fluid responsiveness. By elevating the patient's legs, venous return to the heart is temporarily increased, simulating a fluid bolus. An improvement in cardiac output (measured by ultrasound, e.g., VTI or IVC collapsibility) indicates the patient is…

The RUSH (Rapid Ultrasound for Shock and Hypotension) protocol is a critical point-of-care ultrasound examination used in emergency and critical care settings to rapidly identify the cause of undifferentiated shock. This systematic approach assesses the heart, IVC, peritoneal cavity, aorta, and lungs to detect fluid overload, hypovolemia, obstructive shock, or cardiac dysfunction. Its real-time diagnostic…

The SHoC (Sonographic Assessment of the Heart in Shock) protocol is a rapid, point-of-care ultrasound examination used in critical care to identify the cause of undifferentiated shock. This systematic approach assesses cardiac function, fluid status, and identifies potential life-threatening conditions like pericardial effusion, severe valvular dysfunction, or right heart strain. It provides immediate, actionable insights,…