The curricula of the FUSIC (Focused Ultrasound in Intensive Care) heart module and FAMUS (Focused Acute Medicine Ultrasound), have been promoting separated competences, the first focussing on heart and volaemic status in the patient with undifferentiated shock and the second on the lung in the patient with dyspnoea.
In reality heart and lungs are integrated physiologic systems and the assessment of one requires often information from the other when dealing with the acutely unwell patient.
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The assessment of the heart with POCUS is a necessary step in the diagnostic process of patients in respiratory failure presenting a “wet” pattern on lung US (interstitial syndrome). This could be caused by ARDS, an allergic alveolitis or an ILD, which are conditions that share with the cardiogenic pulmonary oedema a fairly similar lung US pattern and whose diagnosis are supported by the finding of a normal systolic and diastolic function of the LV. This is only one example of several clinical scenarios where competences in both echo and lung US are desirable and where the clinician’s mindset of an integrated POCUS approach to the critical patient could make the difference. We propose a two half-day practical course integrating the FUSIC heart and the FAMUS curricula, at the end of which the delegate will be able to integrate the US information obtained scanning the heart, pleura, lungs, IVC and peripheral veins and make some clarity in the often very confusing clinical presentation of the acutely unwell patient. We have called it the 5×5 POCUS Training Project because, with practice, it enables to exclude in 5 minutes the 5 most common causes of instability in the critically ill patient: hypovolemic/septic shock, obstructive shock (pulmonary embolism and hypertensive pneumothorax), cardiogenic shock/cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, cardiac tamponade and primary lung failure (COPD, pneumonia ARDS).
On line lectures on physics of US, lung and pleura pathologies, DVT, kidney and bladder (FAMUS) and on left and right ventricle systolic function, volemic status and pericardium (FUSIC heart) will be given beforehand in order to maximise the scanning time during the course.
This will be based on hands on sessions on models, simulation of clinical scenarios and activity on phantoms and high fidelity simulator with personalized coaching in group of 3. Although we advise to attend both days one can always choose to participate to only the heart module or the FAMUS course.