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Learning and Competence in Critical Care Echocardiography

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Hemodynamic Monitoring Using Echocardiography in the Critically Ill

Abstract

Critical care echocardiography (CCE) has specific requirements that cannot be met by consultant cardiologists and support the need for training intensivists in the use of this technique in the intensive care unit (ICU). Hemodynamic monitoring utilizing echography is made in two steps: the first assesses the main mechanisms implicated in the problem (ventricular dysfunction, preload deficit, tamponade), and this can be done by most intensivists with minimal training; the second step evaluates in more detail the precise cause and the various abnormalities presented by the patient’s heart; this step requires more expertise. The training for beginners can easily be achieved with basic courses and a minimal number of assisted and nonassisted echocardiographic examinations. Intensivists who desire to reach competence in advanced CCE must dedicate time to follow an extensive training program to acquire technical and cognitive skills for mastering all aspects of echocardiography in the ICU setting. Competence in advanced CCE should be officially recognized. With accumulated experience, intensivists with competence in advanced CCE will attain expertise and may act as tutors for other physicians in training. Each country should built structured educational programs based on existing international standards.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical-surgical Intensive Care Unit, and Clinical Investigation Center INSERM 0801, CHU Dupuytren, 2 Avenue Martin Luther King, 87000, Limoges, France

    Philippe Vignon

  2. Université de Limoges, 2 Ave. Dr. Marcland, 87000, Limoges, France

    Philippe Vignon

  3. Service d’Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, 20 rue Leblanc, 75908, Paris cedex 15, France

    Bernard P. Cholley

  4. Department of Intensive Care, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 route de Lennik, B-1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Daniel De Backer

  5. Unité de réanimation médicale, service de néphrologie, CHU Sud, Amiens Cedex 1, 80054, France

    Michel Slama

  6. INSERM ERI 12, Faculté de médcine d’Amiens, Universite Jules Verne, Amiens, France

    Michel Slama

  7. Intensive Care Unit, University Ambroise Paré Hospital, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, 9 Avenue Charles de Gaulle, 92104, Boulogne, France

    Antoine Vieillard-Baron

  8. University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, 78000, Versailles, France

    Antoine Vieillard-Baron

Authors
  1. Philippe Vignon
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  2. Bernard P. Cholley
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  3. Daniel De Backer
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  4. Michel Slama
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  5. Antoine Vieillard-Baron
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Philippe Vignon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Intenisve Care, Erasme University Hospital, route de Lennik 808, Bruxelles, 1070, Belgium

    Daniel de Backer

  2. Service d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, rue Ambroise Paré 2, Paris CX 10, 75475, France

    Bernard P. Cholley

  3. , Unité de Réanimation Médicale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Avenue Laennec, Amiens Cedex 1, 80054, France

    Michel Slama

  4. Ambroise Paré, Intensive Care & Reanimation Unit, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, avenue Charles de Gaulle 9, Boulogne Cedex, 92104, France

    Antoine Vieillard-Baron

  5. Hôpital Dupuytren, Dépt. Soin Intensive, Université de Limoges, avenue Martin Luther King 2, Limoges, 87042, France

    Philippe Vignon

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© 2011 Springer Berlin Heidelberg

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Vignon, P., Cholley, B.P., De Backer, D., Slama, M., Vieillard-Baron, A. (2011). Learning and Competence in Critical Care Echocardiography. In: de Backer, D., Cholley, B., Slama, M., Vieillard-Baron, A., Vignon, P. (eds) Hemodynamic Monitoring Using Echocardiography in the Critically Ill. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-87956-5_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-87956-5_21

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-87954-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-87956-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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