Emergency Ultrasound
Program
 About Us
Clinical Program
Emergency Ultrasound Program
As emergency physicians we routinely deal with life threatening conditions. Our patients often come to us with vague clinical presentations and labile vital signs with the potential to quickly deteriorate. Focused bedside ultrasound is being used by trained emergency physicians at top universities across the country to provide real time anatomic information regarding the patient's clinical complaint /scenario. It is focused in that it only looks to answer a specific clinical question (ex – Aortic Aneurysm or not? Pericardial Effusion or not?) This allows for rapid evaluation and treatment providing optimal care without moving the patient from the safety of resuscitation area. Ultrasound is also being used to assist in procedural guidance, most commonly peripheral and central venous access.
Studies continue to show that emergency physician performed focused bedside ultrasound accomplishes the following:
- Allows procedures to be performed quicker with less complications
- Facilitates rapid disposition of patients
- Decrease ED and hospital length of stay
- Increases patient satisfaction
- Can accurately be performed by trained emergency physicians
The UMDNJ-RWJMS Department of Emergency Medicine and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital introduced a new Emergency Department based Ultrasound program in November 2006. A portable machine with superb image quality has been purchased and a quality control / assurance program is in place. Our emergency physicians are currently being trained in the performance and interpretation of bedside ultrasound. Currently, all emergency physicians are credentialed to perform ultrasound guided peripheral and central vascular access.
Our goal is to continue to build one of the best Emergency Ultrasound programs in the nation so that our institution can deliver cutting edge care to our patients.
By way of background some key points in the development of emergency ultrasound include:
The American College of Emergency Physicians created guidelines for training and credentialing in 2001.
The American Medical Association and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine have since supported these guidelines and the use of bedside ultrasound by our specialty.
The Residency Review Committee has made it mandatory for Emergency Medicine residency programs to provide training in ultrasound to their residents.
Teaching
We currently offer an emergency ultrasound elective for fourth year medical students and incorporate emergency ultrasound in the core rotation for the mandatory fourth year elective. Please click here for further information about our education program.
Faculty
Rajesh Geria MD RDMS
Dr Geria is the Director of the Emergency Ultrasound Program for the Department of Emergency Medicine. He also serves as Clerkship Director for the 4th year medical student elective in Emergency Ultrasound. Dr. Geria completed his EM residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn NY and subsequently went on to do an Emergency Ultrasound fellowship at Christiana Care Health System in Newark Delaware. He teaches and lectures in Emergency Ultrasound at both the local and national level. Dr. Geria uses state of the art technology to deliver his lectures and to teach students on the use of IT in ultrasound imaging.
PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
TO READ ABOUT
Dr. Geria and the Ultrasound Program as featured in the
UMG Making the Rounds.
Click Here for related links to Emergency Medicine Ultrasound resources.
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