Which Patients Benefit from Basic Echo?

About this activity

This session will discuss the challenges of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE or 'echo') in the critically-ill patient plus the scope and role of echo in critical care. It will look at its usefulness in relation to the clinical setting and how echo can be used in the periarrest and arrest situation. Objectives By the end of this session you will be able to: • Recognise the clinical settings in which basic, entry-level echo is useful in critical care • Identify the role of basic echo in diagnosis, monitoring and assessing the effects of therapies in critical care • Explain the use of focused echo in the cardiac arrest situation, with advanced life support (ALS) compliance where appropriate • Describe when it is appropriate to refer for a formal, comprehensive scan