Introduction to Abdominal and Primary Care Ultrasound

The Introduction to Abdominal & Primary Care Ultrasound training course is taught by leading experts and covers abdominal, trauma, thyroid, scrotal, and soft-tissue applications. This unique course incorporates comprehensive lectures, interactive case presentations, and extensive hands-on scanning, featuring a 3:1 ratio with live models and inanimate phantoms.

Objectives

1. Increase participant’s knowledge to better perform and/or interpret abdominal ultrasound examinations.
2. Demonstrate proper transducer manipulation and system optimization to produce diagnostic images.
3. Perform scan protocols and routine measurements that are utilized during an abdominal ultrasound evaluation.
4. Identify normal/abnormal imaging characteristics of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys and abdominal vasculature.
5. Cite Doppler/color physics principles and be able to (sonographers) apply these principles to optimize system controls or (physicians) utilize this information for identifying technical errors which may result in misdiagnosis (optional lecture).
6. Demonstrate routine examination protocols associated with the ultrasound evaluation of renal artery stenosis (optional lecture).
7. Differentiate normal/abnormal characteristics for the evaluation of the thyroid, testes/scrotum, and appendix.
8. Perform ultrasound evaluation of the trauma patient (FAST exam).
9. Demonstrate the use of ultrasound for evaluation of soft-tissue pathology.
10. Increase confidence to incorporate protocols, scan techniques & interpretation criteria to improve diagnostic/treatment accuracy.

Topics

• Imaging Fundamentals
• Abdominal Anatomy/Scan Techniques
• Abdominal Aorta
• Liver Sonography & Pathology
• Gallbladder & Biliary Tree Sonography & Pathology
• Spleen, Pancreas, and Renal
• Scrotal / Testicular
• Evaluation of the Appendix & GI Tract
• Thyroid
• EFAST Exam, Soft Tissue & MSK Applications
• Interactive Case Studies