Focused cardiac and lung ultrasound in clinical care
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Co-Director
Professor Colin Royse0408467548
Project Details
Our research program on focused cardiac and lung ultrasound is investigating the impact of these new techniques on diagnosis, management and outcome of patients at risk for pathology as well as in routine screening by junior doctors for patients admitted to hospital. This research stream has attracted 3 PhD students, several grants and approximately 20 publications, resulting in growth into a large team working on expanding areas of investigation in different specialities.
The use of ultrasound is the modern day revolution in anaesthesia and acute care medicine. The use of ultrasound in the acute care specialities of anaesthesia, intensive care, emergency medicine, and surgery has evolved from discrete, office-based echocardiographic examinations performed by radiologists or cardiologists to the real- time or point- of- care clinical assessment and interventions by the acute care physician. Use of ultrasound improves speed and accuracy of clinical assessment and is non-invasive and cheap.
Some of the more popular and emerging techniques include transoesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography, lung and abdominal ultrasound, and ultrasound guided nerve blocks and vascular access. However ultrasound is used for an ever-increasing number of uses and medical, surgical and paramedical specialities. Ultrasound guided nerve blocks and vascular access are becoming routine and even mandatory in some centres.
Transoesophageal echocardiography is now routinely used by anaesthetists during cardiac surgery and increasingly used in intensive care and in non-cardiac surgery. “Focused” transthoracic echocardiography, focused cardiac ultrasound (FCU), is a limited scope (as compared with comprehensive examination) echocardiographic examination, performed by the treating clinician in acute care medical practice, and is aimed at addressing specific clinical concerns. Not only can transthoracic echocardiography improve diagnostic accuracy of cardiac pathology but it can more accurately guide haemodynamic monitoring and treatment. Out of all ultrasound procedures this is perhaps the fastest growing, as it can be used in so many settings such as preoperative assessment, intraoperative and postoperative haemodynamic instability, intensive care, emergency department and in out of hospital settings. Lung ultrasound is emerging as an effective tool for rapid diagnosis of acute respiratory pathology, probably representing the last nail in the coffin for the stethoscope. There is evidence that diagnosis is improved with ultrasound examination, yet data showing change in management and improvement in patient outcome are few and an important area for future research.
Researchers
Dr David Canty, Senior Lecturer and Director of Simulation, Ultrasound Education Group
Professor Colin Royse, Co-director, Ultrasound Education Group
Professor Alistair Royse, Co-director, Ultrasound Education Group
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/alistairroyse
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alistair_Royse
Ms Edwina Coller, Manager, Ultrasound Education Group
Collaborators
Monash Health:
- Dr Martin Kim, Clinical Senior Lecturer
- Dr Shashikanth Manikippa, Clinical Associate Professor
Western Health
- Dr Yang Yang, Clinical Senior Lecturer
Eastern Health
- Clinical Associate Professor Parm Naidoo, Director of Radiology, Dandenong Hospital
Royal Melbourne Hospital
- A/Prof David Andrews
- Dr Ruari Orme
Saudi Arabia
- Prof Ahmed Alsaddique (Riyadh)
Funding
- 2010 - ANZCA scholarship $120,000 for PhD on the impact of focused TTE in anaesthesia
- 2013 - ANZCA project grant $58,000 for pilot study on the impact of pre-opertaive focused cardiac ultrasound on outcome after hip fracture surgery
Research Publications
- 2010 - ANZCA scholarship $120,000 for PhD on the impact of focused TTE in anaesthesia
- 2013 - ANZCA project grant $58,000 for pilot study on the impact of pre-opertaive focused cardiac ultrasound on outcome after hip fracture surgery