In Person Learning: Introduction to Point of Care Ultrasound

Point of care ultrasound is a clinical adjunct that can serve as a helpful extension of the physical exam in the hands of a trained doctor or clinician. Clinical presentations of shock, abdominal pain, trauma, respiratory diseases and many more can be extensively evaluated with point of care ultrasound. While maintaining consistent momentum in the United States, other locations like Tanzania are starting to gain more consistent access to point of care ultrasound allowing for shared collaborative learning regarding the uses and applications of this practice.

At Selian Lutheran Hospital in the Ngaramtoni section of Arusha, clinicians have recently obtained point of care ultrasound probes and are eager to use these in their practice at the hospital. While its use is best understood in acute care settings, serial examinations of respiratory diseases, volume status, and many other conditions show promising improvement to clinical care. In this learning session, several emergency medicine and pediatrics consultants spent an afternoon teaching the interns and registrars at the hospital some basic hands on applications of point of care ultrasound.

Both the ER consultants and the Selian doctors learned from this collaborative effort. The experience was both fun and educational. KOPI is hoping to return in the future for more hands on learning regarding clinical skills related to acute care and further ultrasound training. Asanteni tena wadaktari.

Slides: Click here to view