Main description:

Ultrasound has rapidly become integral to the practice of emergency medicine. Over the past few years, with improvements in device size and cost, there has been increasing interest in exploring the utility of ultrasound in the prehospital environment. Much of the available literature on ultrasound in the emergency setting focuses on care delivered in emergency departments and intensive care units within the developed world. As a result, most resources are inappropriate and inadequate for doctors and non-physicians practicing in out-of-hospital environments that, by definition, are resource limited. This manual fills that gap by focusing on simplified discussions of ultrasound studies, ultrasound physics, and research that impacts out-of-hospital care in order to meet the needs of prehospital and austere providers.
The manual discusses the use of ultrasound for diagnosis in out-of-hospital care, advanced noninvasive monitoring of patients, and safety in performing procedures common to the prehospital and austere environment. As is the approach for prehospital education, the chapters are complaint based and not diagnosis based where applicable. Chapters cover ultrasound image interpretation and basic physics; common image adjustments to improve image quality; unique challenges found in urban prehospital environments, austere/wilderness environments, tactical environments, and military special operations environments; and initial training, quality improvement/assurance programs, and credentialing. It also includes a section on procedures such as pericardiocentesis, vascular access, cricothyroidotomy, and others specific to austere providers. The Manual of Austere and Prehospital Ultrasound is an essential resource for physicians and related professionals, residents, and medical students in emergency medicine, civilian and military EMS providers, and critical care flight paramedics and nurses.

Contents:

Part 1: Introduction and Background

Chapter 1: Physics and Knobs

Part 2: Considerations for Specific Environments

Chapter 2: Ground EMS

Chapter 3: Helicopter Emergency Medical Services

Chapter 4: Military Special Operations and Prolonged Field Care

Chapter 5: Considerations for Ultrasound in the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Environment

Part 3: Diagnosis

Chapter 6: Shortness of Breath

Chapter 7: Chest Pain

Chapter 8: Trauma

Chapter 9: Undifferentiated Hypotension

Chapter 10: Advanced Diagnostic Topic for Austere Providers: Abdominal Pain

Chapter 11: Advanced Diagnostic Topic for Austere Providers: Ocular

Chapter 12: Advanced Diagnostic Topic for Austere Providers: Obstetric

Chapter 13: Advanced Diagnostic Topic for Austere Providers: Skin and soft tissue

Chapter 14: Advanced Diagnostic Topic for Austere Providers: Skeletal Trauma

Part 4: Monitoring

Chapter 15: Ultrasound Guidance of Resuscitation in Shock

Chapter 16: Endotracheal tube placement

Chapter 17: Intracranial Pressure Evaluation

Chapter 18: Bladder Volume and Assessment of Hydronephrosis

Part 5: Procedures

Chapter 19: Vascular Access

Chapter 20: Pericardiocentesis

Chapter 21: Surgical cricothyroidotomy

Chapter 22: Advanced Procedure Topic for Austere Providers: Thoracentesis

Chapter 23: Advanced Procedure Topic for Austere Providers: Upper extremity nerve blocks

Chapter 24: Advanced Procedure Topic for Austere Providers: Lower extremity nerve blocks

Part 6: Training

Chapter 25: Initial Training, Credentialing, and Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement Processes

Chapter 26: Care of Equipment