Beside Ultrasound Vital to Early DVT Diagnosis: Part 5 in a Series

Ultrasound may seem intimidating at first, but it is not a procedure out of your reach. Those of you still feeling shy about it should just play with it to increase your comfort level. It's OK to be early for a shift or to stay late figuring out the machine. Try using ultrasound on patients who will allow it and scribes who don't say no. It can't hurt, and it will make you a better and more knowledgeable provider.We all know an "official" ultrasound is needed to confirm a suspected DVT, but what if you just need to know right away? Picture this: You are starting an overnight shift and are already 10 patients deep. Your 55-year-old patient with leg pain and unilateral leg swelling is waiting for an ultrasound, and it's going to be awhile. Your plan is to do some basic labs and obtain the official ultrasound to rule out a DVT. The patient has a few risk factors for DVT and a story to match. Why not test your bedside skills and see what you can see?Bedside ultrasound for DVT is a great way to plan your night and your patient's future. You begin to ask yourself if you need to transfer this patient, probably let him go home, or admit him to the hospital. It's nice to know where your ducks are, so throwing the ultrasound on patients to make a decision from the get-go is imperative. Then you can order that official test. Why can't you do it, too? The good news is you can, and here is how.The ProcedureBedside ultrasound with linear probe to detect DVT in lower extremity...
Source: The Procedural Pause - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs