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July 14, 2026

Beyond plumbing: the multidisciplinary ultrasound assessment of shock and hypotension in the emergency department

The management of shock is a time-critical challenge in emergency medicine and critical care. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has revolutionised this paradigm, offering rapid, non-invasive bedside assessments. Recognising its diagnostic power, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine formally mandates ‘ultrasound-assisted shock assessment’ as a core competency. However, shock is a profound systemic derangement requiring more than […]

Dr Nick Mani, Dr Gokul Sagar Bailur

POCUS UK

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August 14, 2024

Never mind the morphine… regional anaesthesia outside of perioperative practice

There are few effective strategies for the management of acute severe pain. Opioid analgesics can be effective but are associated with many negative effects, including respiratory suppression, sedation and dependence. Local anaesthetics are an attractive alternative. They prevent conduction of nerve fibres by blocking sodium channels on the cell membrane and reduce the transmission of […]

James McPherson, Jonathan Womack

Northern Deanery, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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November 15, 2023

Point-of-care ultrasound: what is being imaged and for what purposes?

Across almost all healthcare settings, professions and specialisms, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS; the immediate or concurrent integration of ultrasound imaging into delivery of care or decision making by a treating or triaging clinician) is a rapidly expanding field of ultrasound imaging. POCUS has the potential to increase patient accessibility to imaging-informed care and to create new […]

Dr Mike Smith

Cardiff University

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November 15, 2023

Point-of-care ultrasound and PACS

The use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been spreading over the past two decades. It is performed outside of the radiology department and may take place in the emergency department (ED), intensive care unit, inpatient ward, operating room, outpatients or in the pre-hospital environment. There has been a growing adoption of POCUS in recent years […]

Dr Chris Yap

Northern General Hospital

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November 15, 2023

Can point-of-care ultrasound reduce clinical demands on radiology?

At the same time as radiology departments experience workforce pressures across the whole multidisciplinary team, demands on radiology services are ever increasing. This leads to delays in the performance of examinations and subsequent reporting, and ultimately delays to appropriate patient care. Use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) as a tool aims to offer improved diagnostic accuracy […]

Dr Latif Rahman, Dr Florina Stanley, Dr Nicholas Smallwood

University Hospitals Leicester, Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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November 16, 2022

Point-of-care ultrasound in the global health and resource-limited setting

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is ultrasound that is used by the clinician at the bedside to answer immediate (often binary) clinical question and/or help guide procedures. It differs from what is often called consultative or ‘formal’ ultrasound in that it is performed at the bedside by the treating physician (images are not acquired by a technician […]

Dr Gordon Johnson

International Medical Corps, Legacy Health

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November 17, 2021

Portable imaging technologies and the democratisation of clinical imaging

In the not so distant past, most of our everyday activities revolved around a specific location. If you wanted to watch a movie you had to go to the cinema. If you were waiting for a phone call you had to wait over your telephone for that precious ring and, of course, your boss expected […]

Dr Gregory Makris

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

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November 11, 2020

Point-of-care ultrasound and haemangiomas

National and international ultrasound practice is changing and developing within radiology departments and at the point of care. Prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic a paradigm shift has begun as to who performs an ultrasound examination, and where and when it is done. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been invaluable during the COVID-19 season. During […]