SoCCC Pre-Rounds: Bite-Sized Critical Care Cardiology Topics Delivered By Experts The POCUS Revolution: Why Echo Belongs in Every ICU with Dr. Hatem Soliman
In this episode of SoCCC Pre-Rounds, Dr. Simon Parlow is joined by Dr. Hatem Soliman, a leading expert in critical care echocardiography, for a deep dive into the game-changing role of point-of-care ultrasound or POCUS in resuscitation and cardiac intensive care.
Together, they unpack how resuscitative echocardiography can help identify reversible causes of cardiac arrest, like pericardial tamponade or tension pneumothorax, and even guide real-time chest compression placement to improve CPR effectiveness.
Dr. Soliman highlights two must-have views: the apical five-chamber for stroke volume and the short-axis great vessels view to assess RV function and pulmonary pressures.
If you're looking to sharpen your bedside skills and bring more precision to your resuscitation toolkit, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.
Key Takeaways
Move beyond the IVC: Hepatic, portal, and renal vein Doppler give a clearer picture of systemic venous congestion than IVC alone.
Cardiac output needs context: Doppler VTI can mislead unless combined with views like apical five-chamber and timing indices like isovolumetric contraction time.
Every echo parameter has a pitfall: Never interpret one measure in isolation; always integrate findings with clinical judgment.
His go-to views in shock? Apical 5 chamber (LVOT VTI) and parasternal short axis of great vessels (PA flow) to assess perfusion and RV afterload.
In This Episode
[00:00] Introduction to the podcast
[02:24] Role of echo in cardiac arrest
[03:43] Training and cautions with echo in CPR
[06:19] Key skills for new trainees in critical care echo
[07:33] Physiological assessment in critical care echo
[09:21] Multi-organ ultrasound and venous congestion
[11:45] Systemic venous congestion in post-ICU patients
[12:18] Comprehensive cardiac output assessment
[15:50] Pitfalls and dangers of critical care POCUS
[17:18] Favorite echo views in cardiac ICU
Notable Quotes
[06:33] "Critical care echo is actually complex... you need to further proceed from this basic level to intermediate and then advanced levels in which you will be able to assess physiological changes in the heart." — Dr. Hatem Soliman
[09:22] "The practice of multi-organ ultrasound and looking beyond the chest cavity for congestion is a very important advancement in point-of-care ultrasound." —Dr. Hatem Soliman
[17:24] "If I have two views to look at in a very short time... the apical five chamber view to get the LVO TVTI because that immediately gives you a clue about stroke volume and cardiac output." — Dr. Hatem Soliman
Dr. Hatem Soliman
Dr. Hatem Soliman is a cardiac intensivist at Harefield Hospital and senior lecturer at King’s College London. He serves on the executive board of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and the editorial board of JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging. A global educator and author of key POCUS textbooks, Dr. Suleiman is renowned for advancing the use of bedside echocardiography in critical care to improve hemodynamic assessment and patient outcomes.
Resources and Links
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Dr. Hatem Soliman
Dr. Simon Parlow
Mentioned
Doyen A. et al. Portal Doppler Ultrasound in Congestion Assessment (André Denault’s work)
Supported By:
This episode is made possible by unrestricted support from Zoll LifeVest — thanks for keeping high-impact education free for our community.
Disclaimer
This podcast is not medical advice, just candid, practical discussions about what your hosts do every day in the CICU. Always consult your supervising team and current guidelines before applying any interventions.