Volunteer Opportunity

[doc2B]

I'm looking for 4 female volunteers to help with an Emergency Medicine Ultrasound course in Halifax on July 11th.

 

It's a great learning opportunity and a great way to meet/chat with Emergency physicians and residents.

 

It's a full day commitment and food is provided. You will be volunteering as a non-pathological ultrasound model so you will be allowing physicians/residents to perform ultrasound techniques on your abdomen. This is a course to teach emergency physicians and residents the techniques of bedside ultrasound, allowing them to provide better care to their patients.

 

Ultrasound is very safe and it does not hurt. They will be doing 4 different scans.

 

The first is a cardiac scan looking at contractility of the heart and looking for signs of pericardial effusion (fluid in the sac around the heart) - this is done in the upper abdomen with the ultrasound probe in the subxiphoid area (lower end of the sternum aiming upwards).

 

The second scan is of the aorta looking for abdominal aortic aneurism. This starts from the subxiphoid area and goes down the centre of the abdomen towards the umbilicus (belly button) looking for any enlargements in the aorta.

 

The third is looking for free fluid in the abdomen. They scan on your sides between your ribs looking for the interface between your kidney and liver on the right and your kidney and spleen on the left as that's where blood tends to pool.

 

The fourth is a gynecological scan looking at the uterus (hence female volunteers needed) looking for the presence or absence of intrauterine pregnancy (this is done in the emergency department in the case of a positive pregnancy test to rule out an ectopic pregnancy). They will also look in the pelvis for signs of free fluid at this time. In this scan you will need to have a full bladder so they will get you to drink a bunch of water or other fluid prior to (this part is usually done in the afternoon). The probe is placed on the lower abdomen above the pubic bone and aimed down towards the pelvis. The abdomen is the only area of your body that will be required to be exposed.

 

If you are available and interested in volunteering, please contact me over PM and provide your name and email address and I will send out more details closer to July 11th. Or if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

 

Thanks so much,

doc2B