Intensive Care Network Podcasts

"The real benefit to the patient [of echocardiography] is not the technical skill, but rather the application of intellectual input... information, communication and teamwork are essential" Jos Roelandt, 1993 Of all the imaging techniques used in intensive care, echocardiography has come to the fore, in particular due to its accessibility, immediate availability and applicability as a point-of-care technique, thereby removing the risks of transportation of the critically ill. Over the preceding 20 years evidence has continued to emerge for its extended use in the acute/emergency setting, to the extent that it is now included in national and international guidelines relating to the universal definition of myocardial infarction, as well as in shock pathways, and as an adjunctive technique in advanced life support. Its potential scope is huge, with applications relating to monitoring, cardiac pathophysiology and coronary perfusion as well as its more evident use to define cardiac anatomy. The three main uses of