An overview of Internal Medicine Point-of-Care Ultrasound rotations in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a growing part of internal medicine training programs. Dedicated POCUS rotations are emerging as a particularly effective tool in POCUS training, allowing for longitudinal learning and emphasizing both psychomotor skills and the nuances of clinical integration. In this descriptive paper, we set out to review the state of POCUS rotations in Canadian Internal Medicine training programs. RESULTS: We identify five programs currently offering a POCUS rotation. These rotations are offered over two to thirteen blocks each year, run over one to four weeks and support one to four learners. Across all programs, these rotations are set up as a consultative service that offers POCUS consultation to general internal medicine inpatients, with some extension of scope to the hospitalist service or surgical subspecialties. The funding model for the preceptors of these rotations is predominantly fee-for-service using consultation codes, in addition to concomitant clinical work to supplement income. All but one program has access to hospital-based archiving of POCUS exams. Preceptors dedicate ten to fifty hours to the rotation each week and ensure that all trainee exams are reviewed and documented in the patient's medical records in the form of a consultation note. Two of the five programs also support a POCUS fellowship. Only two out of five programs have established learner policies. All programs rely on In-Training Evaluation Reports to provide trainee feedback on their performance during the rotation. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the different elements of the POCUS rotations currently offered in Canadian Internal Medicine training programs. We share some lessons learned around the elements necessary for a sustainable rotation that meets high educational standards. We also identify areas for future growth, which include the expansion of learner policies, as well as the evolution of trainee assessment in the era of competency-based medical education. Our results will help educators that are endeavoring setting up POCUS rotations achieve success.

Stroke Volume Determination by Echocardiography.

Basic critical care echocardiography emphasizes two-dimensional (2D) findings, such as ventricular function, inferior vena cava size, and pericardial assessment, while generally excluding quantitative findings and Doppler-based techniques. Although this approach offers advantages, including efficiency and expedited training, it complicates attempts to understand the hemodynamic importance of any 2D abnormalities detected. Stroke volume (SV), as the summative event of the cardiac cycle, is the most pragmatic available indicator through which a clinician can rapidly determine, no matter the 2D findings, whether aberrant cardiac physiology is contributing to the state of shock. An estimate of SV allows 2D findings to be placed into better context in terms of both hemodynamic significance and acuity. This article describes the technique of SV determination, reviews common confounding factors and pitfalls, and suggests a systematic approach for using SV measurements to help integrate important 2D findings into the clinical context.

The Effect of TNFα-Inhibitors on Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Updated Systematic Review of the Literature.

OBJECTIVES: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is strongly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have demonstrated that TNFα-inhibitors may reduce cardiovascular events (CVE) in patients with RA. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the ability of TNFα-inhibitors to reduce the risk of CVE in patients with RA. This study will update the findings of two earlier systematic reviews that synthesized the data up until 2010. . METHODS: A search of Medline, Embase, Medline In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, American College of Physicians Journal Club, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted for observational studies reporting on CVE in RA patients since 2009. Conference proceedings for the Canadian Rheumatology Association, American College of Rheumatology, and European League against Rheumatism were also searched between 2009 and 2014. Abstracts were assessed for inclusion by two reviewers and studies identified by either reviewer were brought forward to full-text review. Studies undergoing full-text review were further assessed based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and the quality of selected papers was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. . RESULTS: The search identified 6089 abstracts and 14 articles were included in the final systematic review. Of the studies included, 8 reported on the effect of TNFα-inhibitors on overall CVE, 10 reported on coronary artery disease (CAD), 6 reported on cerebrovascular disease (CVD), and 5 reported other clinical cardiovascular outcomes. . CONCLUSION: TNFα-inhibitors appear to reduce the likelihood of overall CVE in individuals with RA. The reduction is not as pronounced in the individual outcome measures. These results are consistent with two previous systematic reviews suggesting that TNFα-inhibitors are likely useful in the prevention of cardiovascular complications of RA.