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Dear Colleague,
We are delighted to have the opportunity to offer this workshop on ultrasound applications tailored to the obstetric anaesthesiologist.
In recent years, the use of ultrasound has gained much popularity for patient management in many areas of medicine, particularly in emergency rooms and intensive care units. It has, in fact, become an essential tool in these settings.
As well, it has gradually been introduced in anesthesia for central vascular access and peripheral nerve blocks. It is no exaggeration to say it has redefined the way we practice regional anesthesia today.
As anesthesiologists have become more and more familiar with this new technology, new horizons have opened up very quickly. Ultrasound has been used for peripheral vascular access, assessment of bladder and stomach contents, fascial blocks, and even airway assessment.
Some of the mysteries of the spine have been unveiled as we have learned to see more and more, even through very unfavourable acoustic windows. We are at the point now where epidural and spinal techniques no longer have to be performed blindly.
The untapped potential of ultrasound in the hands of the obstetric anaesthesiologist is phenomenal, and we are just starting to explore it. Ultrasound is a fantastic resource for patient management, as well as an outstanding teaching tool, and it introduces a new method for the investigation of technique, pharmacology and physiology. An ultrasound machine should be standard equipment in all labour and delivery units, to be shared by obstetricians, nurses and anesthesiologists. Hopefully we will see that happen in the near future.
The ultrasound ‘tool kit’ is here to stay, so clinicians need to adopt this technology in order to make the best use of it. The learning curves for different applications vary considerably, and require patience and persistence from the learners, as well as dedication and clear strategies from the teachers and mentors.
So... embrace the technique, train your eyes and fine tune your hand-eye coordination. We hope that by the end of this workshop you will have gained the necessary information and enough hands-on experience to continue on your own. Ultrasound requires patience, dedication and daily practice.
We are looking forward to sharing our experiences with you!
Sincerely,
Jose CA Carvalho, MD, PhD
Workshop Director