This monographic course of two days, for the structure and the target audience aimed to, is unique in the UK. It focuses on the abdominal pathologies whose main presentation is acute abdominal pain, GI bleed or D&V, it highlights the potential of POCUS in significantly narrowing the differential diagnosis in the patients with acute abdominal symptoms.
We consider factitious a separation of diagnostic US competences among the clinicians working at the front door or dealing with the acutely unwell patient, hence the wide spectrum of professionals that this course is aimed to: emergency physicians, acute medical physicians, general surgeons, GPs, AHPs. At least a minimal experience in point of care US is a prerequisite to participate to this course. Probe handling, knobology, physics of US and recognition of main abdominal landmarks and organs are competences required to maximise the impact that the advanced abdominal US course can have on the POCUS skills of the participant. We therefore recommend to attend a basic US course (core EM US or FAMUS) prior to this advanced abdominal course in case of no previous POCUS experience.
The course includes theory and practice on models, patients and/or simulator and it is organized around the following main topics:
- Main abdominal US landmarks
- AAA and free intra-peritoneal fluid
- Acute pathologies of the liver, gallbladder and biliary tree
- Renal colic and different degrees of hydronephrosis, polycistic kidney, CKD
- Small bowel obstruction, acute appendicitis, diverticulitis and IBD colitis
