Do you use ultrasound for suspected peritonsillar abscess (PTA)? Some of us probably do, some don't - but what does the evidence say?? Does it help the clinician? and (dare we ask) does it help the patient? This paper is potentially the best data we currently have on the topic. Mike and special guest Kim Fender dive straight into the purulence of this fluctuant topic.

 

https://www.ultrasoundgel.org/117

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32826122/

GEL Jr coming in hot with the latest in neuro-ocular sonography - optic disc elevation! That's right - not optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), the actual elevation of the disc as seen on ocular ultrasound. Super cool new idea - lets how how it pans out in this pilot study!

 

https://www.ultrasoundgel.org/116

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34051397/

Everyone's new favorite doppler marker for pulmonary embolism is back! We discussed the ESN (early systolic notching) when this concept was first introduced as a marker for large PEs, but now we have a prospective study that improves upon some of the limitations of the past article...or does it?

https://www.ultrasoundgel.org/115

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33987920/

One of the gang's favorite topics - ultrasound in cardiac arrest! This article delves into the importance of "pre-pause imaging", getting that picture of the heart ready even before the compressions are stopped! This seems like an important part of minimizing pauses in CPR, but how convincing is this data?

https://www.ultrasoundgel.org/114

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34223359/

The GEL Jr. team is back with another great use for pediatric POCUS! You might not have known that you can actually use ultrasound to confirm that your endotracheal tube is in the right place! But how good is it??

https://www.ultrasoundgel.org/113

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32168296/

This Special Edition podcast covers not one - but 7 really important POCUS articles! These articles were selected by the Academy of Emergency Ultrasound (an academy of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine) as the top articles from the past year. Here we briefly discuss the winningest articles from each of the categories!

https://www.ultrasoundgel.org/112

We have talked about ocular ultrasound many times before - it certainly can be useful in identifying many acute ophthalmologic pathologies. But what about papilledema? We know that POCUS can be used to measure the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), which dilates with increased intracranial pressure. So theoretically this should work well in patients with suspected increased intracranial pressure, such as those with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The question now is how well does POCUS fare in finding papilledema compared to the good ol' fashioned physical exam?

https://www.ultrasoundgel.org/111

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33532756/

We have been ultrasounding hips for a while now. We know this modality is accurate for finding effusions. This can really help in cases of suspected septic arthritis. Unlike patients with this disease, this study takes multiple steps forward. First it asks the question - "Does point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the emergency department lead to a faster diagnosis?". Then it goes further by trying to determine whether or not POCUS can lead to earlier treatment as well. Fascinating results from a really hip study!

https://www.ultrasoundgel.org/110

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33000078/

In this Special Edition podcast, Mike is joined by POCUS leaders and educators Nova Panebianco and Cameron Baston to discuss their recent publication on interdepartmental collaboration with ultrasound. They discuss their process for creating a combined fellowship and share additional pointers in achieving mutually beneficial relationships between departments.

https://www.ultrasoundgel.org/109

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30592332/

Acute chest syndrome is such a great application for lung ultrasound, especially in pediatrics where we do everything we can to dodge the harmful affects of ionizing radiation. We have covered this once before on the podcast, but it was ages ago. This is a recent well-done study that takes another look to see how ultrasound compares to the commonly employed chest radiography. Join the GEL Jr team as they discuss how this might play out in practice!

https://www.ultrasoundgel.org/108

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32928462/