POCUS Guide for Critical Care Transport

Point-of-Care Ultrasound Applications & Interpretation

The POCUS in Critical Care Transport Reference Guide is a standalone digital clinical reference designed for experienced transport clinicians who use point-of-care ultrasound to support rapid assessment, interpretation, and decision-making in high-acuity adult critical care transport.

Built specifically for the ground and flight transport environment, this guide focuses on the clinical questions that matter when advanced imaging, labs, and formal consults are not immediately available.

POCUS is treated as an added layer of assessment helping clinicians integrate ultrasound findings with exam, vital signs, waveforms, patient presentation, and transport priorities.

Designed For

This guide was created for:

• Critical care transport nurses
• Flight nurses
• Flight paramedics
• Critical care paramedics
• Ground CCT clinicians
• EMS educators
• Advanced practice transport clinicians
• Providers building a personal digital or printable reference library

What This Guide Covers

Inside, you’ll find organized, transport-focused reference material for:

Focused Cardiac Ultrasound
Assess LV function, RV dilation, pericardial effusion, tamponade physiology, cardiac standstill, hyperdynamic LV patterns, and IVC interpretation.

Lung Ultrasound
Review lung sliding, A-lines, B-lines, lung point, pleural effusion, consolidation, pneumothorax patterns, and BLUE protocol interpretation.

eFAST
Use structured trauma ultrasound windows to assess for free fluid, pericardial effusion, pneumothorax, and hemothorax.

RUSH Exam
Apply the Pump / Tank / Pipes framework to help classify undifferentiated shock during transport.

Procedure Guidance
Includes ultrasound support for ETT confirmation, vascular access, cricothyroid membrane identification, post-intubation pneumothorax checks, pericardiocentesis guidance, and gastric tube confirmation.

Transport-Specific Pitfalls
Recognize artifact, motion limitations, false negatives, fat pad vs. effusion, IVC limitations on positive pressure ventilation, and situations where POCUS cannot safely answer the question.

Monitoring and Reassessment
Includes guidance for when to rescan during deterioration, post-intubation, after fluid boluses, after vasopressor or inotrope changes, after decompression, and during unstable transports.

Documentation and Handoff
Structured language to help communicate POCUS findings clearly during clinical documentation and bedside handoff.

Why This Guide Is Different

Most ultrasound references are written for hospital-based practice. This guide is built around the transport environment, where clinicians need fast, clinically relevant interpretation that connects directly to management, destination decisions, reassessment, and handoff.

The guide emphasizes:

• High-yield transport POCUS scenarios
• Red flag findings that require immediate action
• Probe and preset quick-reference tables
• Common findings with clinical action steps
• Transport-specific setup and scanning considerations
• Artifact recognition and interpretation traps
• Rescan triggers during clinical deterioration
• Practical documentation language

Digital Product Details

This is a digital download PDF. No physical product will be shipped.

Use it as a printable reference, tablet-based guide, binder insert, or part of your personal critical care transport library.

Disclaimer

This guide is intended for experienced clinicians and is designed to support clinical judgment. It does not replace medical direction, local protocols, credentialing requirements, scope of practice regulations, institutional policy, or formal ultrasound training.