Course Title: Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS) for Critical Care Providers

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is transforming bedside assessment by allowing critical care providers to evaluate cardiac function, volume status, pulmonary physiology, vascular safety, and muscle integrity in real time. This two-day immersive course focuses on the practical application of ultrasound to assess physiologic readiness, identify causes of clinical instability, and guide safe, informed clinical decision-making.

Participants will develop hands-on skills in lung and diaphragm ultrasound, cardiac assessment, inferior vena cava evaluation, vascular screening for DVT and abdominal aortic aneurysm, and muscle ultrasound for detecting and monitoring critical illness–associated weakness. Dedicated instruction on mechanical circulatory support (LVAD and Impella) will highlight ultrasound’s role in assessing preload, ventricular interaction, and physiologic tolerance.

Emphasis is placed on integrating ultrasound findings into clinical workflow—linking image acquisition to physiologic interpretation and real-world decision-making. Through hands-on labs and case-based integration, participants will learn to use ultrasound as a tool to enhance patient safety, improve clinical reasoning, and monitor physiologic response over time.

At the conclusion of the course, attendees will be able to:   

  • Demonstrate foundational knowledge of point-of-care ultrasound principles and terminology relevant to critical care physical therapy practice.

  • Describe the sonographic anatomy of cardiopulmonary, vascular, and skeletal muscle structures relevant to ICU rehabilitation, including lung, diaphragm, heart, inferior vena cava, aorta, peripheral vasculature, and major limb muscles.

  • Recognize common pathologic findings identifiable with ultrasound relevant to critical care and rehabilitation practice, including pulmonary edema, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, diaphragmatic dysfunction, ventricular dysfunction, pericardial effusion, deep vein thrombosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and muscle wasting.

  • Acquire and optimize basic ultrasound images through hands-on scanning, including lung, diaphragm, cardiac screening views, IVC, vascular compression ultrasound, and muscle imaging.

  • Integrate ultrasound findings into clinical reasoning for ICU rehabilitation, including assessment of physiologic readiness, causes of clinical instability, and safe progression of mobility.