Critical Care eCASE Series

This new blended learning activity will cover 3 eCASES where the learner will review case presentations and participate in a live Q&A session for each case. Case presentation materials will be made available to learners ahead of time.

Learners will then have the opportunity to form an opinion regarding the diagnosis and management of the patient. During the live Q&A sessions, the panel will discuss their interpretation of the case and how they might approach diagnosis and treatment. The audience will have the opportunity to participate in the discussion and give their insights/thoughts about each case.

CME Information: 4.50 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM

• Release Date: January 6, 2023
• Expiration Date: January 6, 2026 - CME/MOC must be claimed by this date.

**UPDATE: Case #3 - Live Q&A Session: April 13, 2023 | 7:00 - 8:00 PM EST

Critical Care eCASE Series

Release Dates:

• Case 1 - Available now OnDemand
• Case 2 will be released in early February. The Live Q&A Session is scheduled for February 27, 2023 from 7:00PM - 8:00PM (EST).
• Case 3 will be released in early March. Live Q&A Session is TBD.

PLEASE NOTE: Learners are encouraged to attend the live Q&A Sessions. However, they will be recorded and made available to learners OnDemand.

Case Information:

Each case will focus on application of echocardiography and general point point of care ultrasound, POCUS, to help diagnosis a critically ill patient's physiologic derangement and how serial examinations help with therapeutic management. 

Case 1: Is it cardiac tamponade or not? That is the question.

This case will focus on a patient with a large pericardial effusion but no echocardiographic evidence of tamponade. The patient, however, had signs and symptoms of tamponade and also had renal failure and pre-existing pulmonary hypertension. The case will discuss the management of this patient.

Case 2: Is oxygen delivery adequate? That is the question.

This case will focus on how to approach the diagnosis and management of severe left ventricular dysfunction. Is the patient’s shock state due to the left ventricular function or is it a bystander. How would we know? The case will illustrate the use of serial measurements of the patient’s stroke volume and calculation of oxygen delivery. Does the patient need mechanical circulatory support or can pharmacologic intervention be enough?

Case 3: Does the patient need a transesophageal echo, TEE? That is the question.

This case will focus on a patient in multi-organ system failure, shock, with coagulopathy, and poor to no transthoracic windows. A DVT was found on POCUS, and the question of massive pulmonary embolus arises in a patient WITHOUT hypoxemia. The case will illustrate the safety of performing TEE in the face of critical illness and how sometimes it is the best and only way to make this diagnosis. The case will also illustrate how trained non-cardiologists can use TEE when trained appropriately.

Target Audience:

All clinical providers interested in POCUS as it regards its use in diagnosing and managing critically ill patients. This would include cardiologists, interventionalists, emergency medicine physicians, echocardiography sonographers. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the role of CCE in diagnosing and managing a critically ill patient.
2. Understand integration of POCUS into CCE
3. Understand the intensivists use of serial examinations for management of these patients.
4. Understand the role of TTE for the non-cardiologist in the management of these patients.

• Contact:
  ASE Learning Hub