Introduction Patients presenting with undifferentiated shortness of breath can be challenging because their presentations can have many potential etiologies: pulmonary, cardiac, mixed cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, neurologic, or other noncardiopulmonary reasons. It…

Pericardiocentesis Introduction Performing a pericardiocentesis in an unstable patient with cardiac tamponade is a lifesaving procedure. Pericardial fluid is a common finding on point-of-care echocardiography examination and can occur from…

Peripheral Artery Disease Patients may present with acute or chronic lower extremity arterial insufficiency. Chronic lower extremity arterial insufficiency is typically secondary to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a gradual, degenerative disease…

Normal Anatomy Kidneys The kidneys are retroperitoneal structures and are surrounded by fascial layers, including Gerota’s fascia. There is direct supply of the renal arteries and veins to the kidney…

Introduction Undifferentiated chest pain presents a diagnostic dilemma because there are many potential causes, with some etiologies being imminently life threatening. These diagnoses often cannot be determined by history or…

Introduction Single-injection ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks (USGNBs) are ideal for pain relief from acute injuries and adjunct analgesic for painful procedures. By injecting local anesthetic adjacent to the nerve, both…

The Gallbladder Normal Anatomy The normal anatomy of the gallbladder, biliary tract, and surrounding organs is presented in Fig. 17.1 . The gallbladder is connected via the cystic duct to…

Introduction Since 2001 the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) have recommended the use of ultrasound guidance for the placement of…