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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…