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Rogue waves

What’s the diagnosis and what’s the gold standard for POCUS??

March 2, 2015 4 Comments
What’s the diagnosis and what’s the gold standard for POCUS??

A man in his late 50s presented to an ED a while back during the summers months with a 3 day H/O multiple complaints including rhinorhea, sore throat, dry cough, vomiting, loose stool, right frontal headaches, dyspnea, dysuria, and dark urine. So, a mixed picture. Fever of 100.9 was measured at home. No contacts or […]

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Belly button mystery

February 22, 2015 1 Comment
Belly button mystery

Here’s a really nice case from Dr. Michael Garner. A healthy 17 yo male presents with a 1st episode of peri-umbilical progressive pain for the past 3 days.  No nausea or vomiting; Normal stool; Unconfirmed fever.  Slight discharge from umbilicus for last 24 hours. Referred by clinic to R/O incarcerated hernia. Examination of the abdomen […]

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EDE 3: Scanning, skiing and success!

February 5, 2015 1 Comment
EDE 3: Scanning, skiing and success!

The third annual EDE 3 course was a huge success.  Forty adventurous individuals travelled to Sun Peaks, British Colombia Feb 2-3 to attend the largest EDE course ever. Located at the beautiful Sun Peaks Grand Hotel we had 16 ultrasound machines, 15 instructors, over 30 ultrasound models, and plenty of fresh powder. Amazing presentations were given […]

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Ruptured Achilles Tendon

September 15, 2014 0 Comments
Ruptured Achilles Tendon

Imaging the Achilles tendon is technically easy and a nice way to rapidly confirm your diagnosis of tear.  Always compare to the unaffected side.  Beware anisotropy which can make sections of any tendonous structure look black and torn.  If the ultrasound beam is interrogating a section of tendon away from 90 degrees it can look […]

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Colles and POCUS

July 24, 2014 2 Comments
Colles and POCUS

I like to use POCUS for hematoma blocks and Colles fractures. Here’s one. I first mark the most obvious area of the radial fracture. Then I aim from slightly cephalad at a 45 degree angle to inject the fracture. By the way, I’ve never actually seen the hematoma in the “hematoma” block. I then follow […]

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Staghorn Calculus

July 20, 2014 0 Comments
Staghorn Calculus

This fellow had a chronic history of renal stones (also a stent). The POCUS showed his collecting system filled with calculus. The entire calyceal system and pelvis was packed with stones.

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Take the appendix challenge

July 17, 2014 0 Comments
Take the appendix challenge

Do you want to improve your imaging skills safely?  Then take challenges like this case from Dr. Gordon.  When you have someone waiting to get a CT for appendicitis, look for the appendix yourself with POCUS.  If you see it and still can’t convince your surgeon to go to the OR, then getting an elective […]

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POCUS Father’s Day

June 15, 2014 0 Comments
POCUS Father’s Day

Not only am I an enthusiast for POCUS, my pre-teen daughters often get roped into being models for workshops and presentations.  There was even an occasion when my (very young at the time) daughter claimed she didn’t have to use the washroom before going somewhere to play.  I demonstrated to her what a full bladder […]

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Does the heart REALLY stop when you give Adenosine to an SVT patient – find out with POCUS!

June 11, 2014 0 Comments
Does the heart REALLY stop when you give Adenosine to an SVT patient – find out with POCUS!

I know. It’s a question that you have all asked yourselves. Does Adenosine REALLY stop the heart when given for SVT? Thanks to POCUS/EDE, we have the answer! Rob Simard was in Sudbury last year doing his emergency ultrasound fellowship. He saw a patient with recurrent SVT. We decided to go with Adenosine since it […]

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Canadian POCUS educators please take note!

May 30, 2014 0 Comments
Canadian POCUS educators please take note!

Hello all Canadian POCUS keeners. There is a whole lot of ultrasound love about to happen at the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians Annual Conference in Ottawa, Ontario May 31-June 4 2014. Sure, we all want to see Mel Herbert and Ian Stiell battle it out during their session on evidence and education but there […]

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