Welcome!

Thank you for agreeing to participate in our hand-carried ultrasound (HCU) project! This project is aimed to teach you to acquire and interpret images of the inferior vena cava (IVC) to help estimate volume status. This is currently a 2 part study and includes this online portion and an in-person training session. We are planning to add a 4-6 week follow-up assessment to the protocol pending IRB approval.

This online pre-course work includes an introduction to the FDA-approved HCU device, the GE Vscan, and background on IVC image acquisition and interpretation to estimate venous pressure.

The in-person schedule includes:

1. Completion of an entry survey
2. Didactic teaching session
3. Practice of image acquisition and interpretation with standardized patients
4. Testing competence to acquire and interpret IVC images including calculating the IVC collapsibility index
5. Testing ability to calculate the IVC collapsibility index from 10 videos of previous subjects.
6. Completion of the exit survey.
7. Our gratitude for your participation and delivery of your iPad2

Please make sure to click "Older posts" at the bottom of each page until you reach the final 3 Questions section.

The Vscan HCU Device

We will provide a more detailed walk through of the Vscan device during the in-person training however a brief summary of the controls are presented here:

• The Vscan device is turned on by simply opening the lid.
• It should be preset to cardiac imaging but pushing Menu at the top of the black dial confirms this or allows one to select other types of imaging (e.g. OB).
• The up and down arrow keys allow increasing or decreasing of the depth of imaging. 
• When the measurement tool is used via the Menu button (called "Distance" and has a ruler icon) the arrow keys facilitate making measurements.
• The lower right icon on the outer black dial is a recording button. Pushing this button saves the image on the screen if still or the loop of images if it is a movie. They are saved in a Gallery also accessed from the Menu button.
• The middle black circular button is used for selections in the menu,  making measurements or stopping and starting the image loops.