Emergency Ultrasound

Bedside ultrasound is a clinical skill that every emergency physician should master.  There are four acutely life-threatening emergencies for which delay in definitive care is unjustified:

With the use of bedside ultrasound by the emergency physician a diagnosis can be rapidly made and definitive care arranged in a timely fashion.  Other indications for emergency ultrasound include gallbladder disease and obstructive uropathy. 

Dr. Dietrich Jehle is the Clinical Director of Emergency Services at Erie County Medical Center and the Vice-Chair of our department. He is one of the pioneers of ED bedside ultrasound and author of Ultrasound in Emergency Medicine. Dr. Jehle is directly involved with training emergency medicine residents in ultrasound use in the ED.  

Residents who graduate from the program will be credentialed to use the ultrasound in the ED to evaluate for the conditions listed above.

Here are some ultrasound images obtained by Dr. Jehle depicting various pelvic pathology (©Dietrich Jehle).


Complex mass. This mass (plus signs mark orders) has multiple hypoechoic and hyperechoic regions. This could represent a tubo-ovarian abscess, ectopic pregnancy, hemorrhagic ovarian cyst, or ovarian tumor.
 


Hematometra. A large amount of hypoechoic blood (clot) is seen within the uterus. This can be seen with an imperforate lymen or as a postoperative complication of gynecologic surgery.
 


Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Multiple large anechoic cysts are visualized in both ovaries in this image. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome or polycystic ovary disease may have this appearance.
 


Placental abruption. This retroplacental hemorrhage is visualized in a patient during the third trimester of her pregnancy. Retroplacental abruptions carry a poorer prognosis than marginal abruptions.
 


Placenta previa. The cervix is seen on the right side of the image and is covered by the edge of the placenta. The placenta is the homogeneous structure on the anterior wall of the uterus

 

To Contact Us:

 

Department of Emergency Medicine

100 High Street

Buffalo, New York 14203

716-859-1993 (v)

716-859-1555 (f)

dmcarthy@kaleidahealth.org

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