This book is a pocket-sized, practical introduction and ready reference to focused ultrasound (USS) in the Emergency Department (ED). USS is a safe, rapid imaging technique. It is non-invasive and painless and it is used widely by radiologists, cardiologists (echocardiography) and obstetricians. However, it is only in recent years that its role has emerged in the field of Emergency Medicine. In this context, limited Emergency USS is used to answer very specific questions, such as the presence or absence of AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm), or of free fluid (such as blood) in the abdomen after trauma. Unlike other imaging modalities (eg CT scan) it is a rapid technique that can 'come to the patient'. The book explains the indications for, and use of, limited USS. Importantly it also explains its limitations.

• A practical guide to appropriate use of ultrasound in the emergency department.
• Written by team of leading experts in the UK and Australasia.
• A volume in the successful Made Easy series.

1. Introduction
2. How ultrasound works
3. Abdominal aorta
4. Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST)
5. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
6. The painful hip
7. Central venous access
8. Soft-tissue foreign bodies
9. Draining pleural effusions and ascites
10. Shock and cardiac arrest
11. Renal tract
12. Gallbladder
13. Early pregnancy
14. Getting trained and staying trained
15. Setting up an emergency ultrasound service
16. Conclusion
Appendix 1. Useful paperwork
Appendix 2. Useful organisations
Appendix 3. Further reading

By Justin Bowra, MBBS FACEM, Director of Emergency Medicine Training, Department of Emergency Medicine, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, Australia; and Russell McLaughlin, MB, FRCSI, FFAEM, MMedSci, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Ulster Hospital, Belfast, UK