Work with expert-level faculty to gain interactive image interpretation skills through the review of a broad spectrum of findings of advanced critical care echocardiography (ACCE), with emphasis on frontline utility of ACCE for the diagnosis and management of cardiopulmonary failure. This course will help attendees develop high-level image acquisition and interpretation skills through small-group, hands-on training sessions focused on acquiring the full image sets required for certification in ACCE.

Learn to integrate findings of ACCE into clinical operations by using:

• Doppler physics
• Measurement of stroke volume/cardiac output (SV/CO)
• Detailed assessment of LV and RV function
• Measurement of filling pressures and diastolic function
• Evaluation of valve function
• Determination of preload sensitivity
• Measurement of intracardiac pressures
• Identification of adverse heart-lung interactions

This course is designed to meet the needs of all critical care clinicians who are interested in ACCE; and, in particular, for those who are candidates for Certification in Advanced Critical Care Echocardiography now offered by the National Board of Echocardiography (NBE) in cooperation with the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Professional Societies (2). The first Certification examination will be in January 2019. This course will focus on image acquisition and image interpretation which are required competences to achieve NBE Certification. CHEST will be offering a separate 3-day board review course in preparation for the NBE Certification Examination in December 2018.

Prerequisites

This course is designed for intensivists who are fully proficient in basic critical care echocardiography and are strongly committed to precourse cognitive preparation. Didactic lectures will not be presented. Instead, attendees will be expected to engage in a serious study of the pre-course material provided, as this course is designed for those who have completed the recommended reading.

Prior to attending, you will receive materials that form the cognitive base of the course. We anticipate that you will be thoroughly familiar with the content prior to starting the course in order to reduce the need for lectures, so the focus can be on hands-on, interactive training.

Target Audience

Intensivists, critical care and emergency medicine physicians, pulmonary and critical care fellows, and advanced practice providers are encouraged to attend. Candidates for the NBE ACCE Certification will be particularly interested in this unique CHEST course offering.