Endorsed Course: 14th Course in Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

14th Course in point of care ultrasound (POCUS) June 22nd to 26th 2026

Background:
Since 2017, regular courses in abdominal ultrasound, point of care ultrasound, echocardiography, and vascular ultrasound are done at the St Francis Regional Referral Hospital, in collaboration with the Ifakara Health Institute, Swiss TPH Switzerland, Ultrasound learning center Hirslanden, Zürich, Switzerland, the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine (EFSUMB), and the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland. Up to now, 24 courses have been done. A total of 10 ultrasound machines are available at the hospital.

Objectives:

  • To introduce and to repeat ultrasound techniques for clinicians who practice diagnostic ultrasound in daily clinical work, by lectures and practical training
  • To be able to perform Point of Care Ultrasound according to international guidelines
  • To be able to interpret sonographic findings
  • To be able to define a diagnosis combining clinical and sonographical information
  • To introduce contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to experienced clinicians in sonography

Participants:
Participate will 24 clinicians who have access to an ultrasound machine and perform diagnostic ultrasound in everyday practice.

Instructors and Lecturers:

  • Dr Helena Machibya, Radiologist, Temeke Regional Referral Hospital. She has been lecturer and instructor in a previous MCT approved POCUS course in Ifakara.
  • PD Dr med Martin Rohacek, Physician, board certified in in emergency medicine, board certified (Swiss Society of Ultrasound SGUM, member of EFSUMB) Instructor in Point of care – and abdominal ultrasound (Swiss Society of Ultrasound (SGUM). Emergency Department, St Francis Regional Referral Hospital, IHI, Swiss TPH, Basel, Switzerland.
  • Dr Andrew Katende, Head of Heart/Lung Clinic. He performs echocardiography and lung ultrasound in everyday practice, and published recently an important paper about lung ultrasound in JAMA Network open [1], He has been course organizer, lecturer and instructor in a previous MCT approved POCUS course in Ifakara.
  • PD Dr med Jan Tuma, Physician and expert in diagnostic ultrasound, Co-Director Ultrasound learning center, Hirslanden, Zürich, Switzerland; Instructor, Course Organizer (SGUM), honorary member of SGUM and WFUMB and honorary fellow of EFSUMB. He has been lecturer and instructor in a previous MCT approved POCUS course in Ifakara.
  • PD Dr med Sabine Schmidt-Weitmann, Physician and phlebologist, board certified (SGUM) Instructor in sonography. Medical Centre Schauspielhaus, Zurich, Switzerland. She has been lecturer and instructor in a previous MCT approved POCUS course in Ifakara.

Course procedures:

Day 1
Lectures about basics of ultrasound, doppler, POCUS of the veins and arteries, eFAST
(extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma), sonography of the optic nerve sheath, and eFASH (extended assessment with sonography in TB and HIV) [2] will be done. The presentation will be done according to EFSUMB guidelines [3]. Practical sessions will be done in 6 groups of 4 participants. Each group will have an instructor, a room and an ultrasound machine. All patients who will be scanned will have an indication for ultrasound examination. Patients will give oral consent to be scanned, and will receive a written ultrasound report which is signed by the instructor. Patients with interesting findings will be scanned in the live scanning session. If a contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is indicated (I.e intraabdominal tumor), CEUS [4] will be performed.

Day 2
Lectures about sonography of the liver, biliary system, and portal hypertension will be done according to EFSUMB guidelines [3]. Practical procedures and live scanning will be held the same as in day 1

Day 3
Lectures about aorta/retroperitoneum, kidney, pancreas, and genitourinary system will be done according to EFSUMB guidelines [3]. Practical procedures and live scanning will be held the same as in day 1

Day 4
Lectures about thyroid/neck- and lymphnode-ultrasound, lung ultrasound/ultrasound of the chest [1], and how to use ultrasound in puncturing will be done according to EFSUMB guidelines [3] and other references [5] . Practical procedures and live scanning will be held the same as in day 1.

Day 5
Only practical sessions will be done at the last day. In the afternoon, the exam, evaluation of the course, distribution of certificates, and good-bye ceremony will be done.
All slides of lectures will be will be put online

 

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