Welcome to the BASIC Ultrasound Curriculum
(Bedside Assessment by Sonography In Critically ill Patients)

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become a cornerstone of bedside care across multiple medical specialties, particularly in acute care medicine. Despite its growing acceptance, many challenges remain around achieving competency and ensuring consistent training for both trainees and practicing physicians.

In the context of critically ill patients, the appropriate umbrella term is Critical Care Ultrasound (CCUS), which encompasses two main domains:
– Critical Care Echocardiography (CCE)
– General Critical Care Ultrasound (GCCUS)
CCE is further divided into basic (BCCE) and advanced (ACCE) skill sets. A provider trained at the basic level should be able to perform and interpret fundamental transthoracic cardiac assessments and basic general ultrasound applications relevant to critical care. These foundational skills—BCCE and GCCUS—are now considered core competencies and essential to the practice of critical care medicine and have been endorsed globally by critical care societies. In fact, they are now regarded as alongside bronchoscopy, airway management, and central venous access.

In Canada, formal certification in BCCE and GCCUS has not been deemed necessary. This position was unanimously supported by national CCUS experts and officially endorsed by the Canadian Critical Care Society in 2013. Instead, the consensus is that these skills should be acquired during fellowship training under the supervision of qualified faculty.

Goals and Objectives

Goals and Objectives

By the end of the curriculum, participants will be able to:

• Acquire high-quality BCCE and GCCUS images
• Interpret sonographic findings accurately and reliably
• Integrate ultrasound findings into the clinical decision-making process
• Understand the scope and limitations of basic versus advanced ultrasound techniques
• Identify common pitfalls and recognize when expert input is required

Curriculum Content

The program emphasizes BASIC POCUS applications, including:

• Basic transthoracic echocardiography
• Lung ultrasound
• Diaphragm and airway ultrasound
• Basic vascular (venous and arterial) ultrasound
• Abdominal ultrasound (including FAST)
• Basic transcranial Doppler
• Procedural guidance with ultrasound

Educational Framework: The I-AIM Model

Each application will be taught using the I-AIM framework, which ensures a structured and clinically relevant learning experience:

1. Indication (I):
   Define the clinical question being addressed with ultrasound.
2. Acquisition (A):
   Learn optimal patient positioning, probe selection, scanning protocols, and image optimization techniques.
3. Interpretation (I):
   Follow a stepwise approach to:
   1. Assess image quality and adequacy
   2. Identify key findings
   3. Interpret in clinical context (e.g., vasopressors, mechanical ventilation)
   4. Develop a sonographic differential diagnosis
   5. Decide when to expand the scan or use additional modalities
4. Integration in Medical Decision Making (M):
   Understand how ultrasound findings affect diagnostic reasoning:
   • Confirm or support the diagnosis
   • Refute or redirect the diagnosis
   • Have no impact
   • Prompt a complete reassessment
5. Management of Pitfalls (M):
   Recognize the limitations of focused ultrasound performed by non-experts, and know when to seek help or question findings.

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Get in Touch

BASIC.CCUS@gmail.com

Alberto Goffi – alberto.goffi@unityhealth.to

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IDCCM & ANESTHESIA BASIC Ultrasound Curriculum – All rights reserved