Objectives: The following review will describe the use of focused cardiac ultrasound performed by noncardiologists and its role as an acute hemodynamic monitoring tool in pediatric cardiac critical care.
Data source: MEDLINE and PubMed.
Conclusion: The use of focused cardiac ultrasound has grown tremendously over recent years, and is increasingly being performed and interpreted by intensivists, anesthesiologists, and emergency medicine physicians. These imaging techniques are useful in establishing etiologies of cardiac dysfunction and should compliment the physical examination and standard hemodynamic monitoring.