Category Archives: Critical Care

Small Bowel Obstruction on ultrasound

Great case of the week from Yale EM Ultrasound. This is a great POCUS education site.

Hyperactive, dilated small bowel loops with free intraperitoneal fluid. (c.f. paralytic ileus where bowel loops are dilated but static)

POCUS pitfalls

It’s easy to get carried away when doing your own bedside ultrasound but it’s important to know your limits. Pablo Blanco and Giovanni Volpicelli have published an excellent article in Critical Ultrasound Journal 26 Oct. on some of the most common mistakes and pitfalls when performing point of care ultrasound. You can find it here.

Bedside ultrasound beats fluoroscopy at detecting diaphragmatic paralysis

In a recent online published study out of the children’s hospital in Barcelona, chest ultrasound outperformed fluoroscopy in the detection of diaphragmatic paralysis (Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Oct 28). This will save patients radiation and can be performed at the bedside. You can read more at about it at Health Imaging.