Advances in operating room ultrasound topic of workshop

The latest advances in the use of bedside ultrasound in the operating theater will be shared at a daylong conference for health care professionals.

The Perioperative Ultrasound and Echocardiology Workshop will be held Saturday, May 14, in the Paris Simulation Center in the University of Louisville School of Medicine Instructional Building, 500 S. Preston St. Registration opens at 7 a.m. and the workshop will be held from 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The workshop is designed for anesthesia providers, anesthesiologists, intensivists, residents and perioperative nurses, said Jiapeng Huang, M.D., Ph.D., clinical professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at UofL, attending cardiac anesthesiologist at KentuckyOne Health's Jewish Hospital  and medical staff president for Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Healthcare.

Perioperative ultrasound, also known as point-of-care or bedside ultrasound, enables the anesthesiology staff to have real-time ultrasound images in the operating room that are equal in accuracy to x-ray or CT scan without exposing patients to potentially harmful radiation. Echocardiography is a diagnostic test that uses ultrasound waves to create an image of the heart. Ultrasound of the nerves and blood vessels also enables staff to see these structures to guide nerve blocks and central line placement, making these invasive procedures much safer and more efficient.

“This course will provide anesthesiologists and others involved in perioperative care the most up-to-date and practical ultrasound skills required for safe and the highest quality anesthesia care,” Huang said.

For details and to register, go to the workshop website.