Ultrasound for the Emergency Patient (Swindon)

In emergency practice, being able to gather focused diagnostic information quickly can make a real difference to patient assessment, stabilisation and treatment planning. This practical one-day course is designed to help you build confidence in the use of point-of-care ultrasound, with a particular focus on FAST scanning techniques including POCUS, AFAST™ and TFAST™. Through a combination of clinically focused teaching, case-based discussion and hands-on practical training in a small-group setting, you will develop your ability to assess the acute abdomen, evaluate the dyspnoeic patient and identify important findings such as abdominal fluid, internal bleeding, pleural effusion, pneumothorax and pulmonary oedema. The course will also introduce the theory behind thoracocentesis and abdominocentesis, helping you strengthen both your practical understanding and your confidence in applying ultrasound effectively in emergency cases.

Topics to be covered include:

• Principles of point-of-care ultrasound in the emergency patient
• Introduction to FAST scanning, including POCUS, AFAST™ and TFAST™
• Rapid triage of the emergency patient using ultrasound
• Emergency assessment of the acute abdomen
• Quick and safe evaluation of the dyspnoeic patient
• Using ultrasound to help distinguish cardiac from respiratory presentations
• Identification of abdominal fluid and internal bleeding
• Recognition of pleural effusion, pneumothorax and pulmonary oedema
• Theory and clinical application of thoracocentesis
• Theory and clinical application of abdominocentesis
• Case-based discussion to support interpretation and decision-making
• Hands-on practical scanning in a small-group learning environment