Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

 

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) imaging is an important imaging modality in emergency departments across the globe. POCUS enables emergency physicians to make diagnostic decisions at the bedside and improves the safety of critical procedures. In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, there is a scarcity of radiologists serving public hospitals and population of approximately five million people.At Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, the primary teaching hospital at Addis Ababa University AAU, radiology services are not always available, and when available, often come with delays. Within this context, where formal imaging is unavailable or unaffordable for patients, availability and quality of advanced POCUS training is of great importance.

 

Through our TAAAC-EM collaboration, we continue to recognize the importance of innovation in POCUS education and availability. Previous successes in establishing a foundational POCUS curriculum for emergency medicine and critical care residents at Addis Ababa University and in designing an alternative ultrasound gel, we have laid the foundation to offer more advanced POCUS education offerings for residents and staff. We continue to refine and evaluate our POCUS education initiatives, including various ongoing programs like the East African POCUS Training ProgramImplementation and Evaluation and the emerging Acute Care Echocardiography (ACE) Training Program for residents. 

Current Project Team

Indy Sahota

TAAAC-EM POCUS Lead

ghemphoto-juliawytsma-square-c41bd13dc4ee85eecfdbb55e031ec657-fs9dqvhwz5t1

Julia Wytsma

TAAAC-EM Co-Director

Temesgen Beyene

Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine, Addis Ababa University

Tigist Zewdu

Head, Emergency Medicine, Addis Ababa University

Publications, Presentations and Media

PUBLICATIONS

  1. Salmon M, Salmon C, Bissinger A, Muller MM, Gebreyesus A, Geremew H, Wendell S, Azaza A, Salumu M, Benfield N. Alternative ultrasound gel for a sustainable ultrasound program: application of human centered design. PloS one. 2015 Aug 7;10(8):e0134332. https://goo.gl/oLvFca
  2. Salmon M, Landes M, Hunchak C, Paluku J, Kalisya LM, Salmon C, Muller MM, Wachira B, Mangan J, Chhaganlal K, Kalanzi J. Getting it right the first time: defining regionally relevant training curricula and provider core competencies for point-of-care ultrasound education on the African continent. Annals of emergency medicine. 2017 Feb 1;69(2):218-26.
  3. Stachura M, Landes M, Aklilu F, Venugopal R, Hunchak C, Berman S, Maskalyk J, Sarrazin J, Kebede T, Azazh A. Evaluation of a point-of-care ultrasound scan list in a resource-limited emergency centre in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. African Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2017 Sep 1;7(3):118-23.
  4. Aziz A, Dar P, Hughes F, Solorzano C, Muller MM, Salmon C, Salmon M, Benfield N. Cassava flour slurry as a low‐cost alternative to commercially available gel for obstetrical ultrasound: a blinded non‐inferiority trial comparison of image quality. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2018 Aug;125(9):1179-84. https://goo.gl/EQc761
  5. Liu M, Salmon M, Zaidi R, Nagdev A, Debebe F, Muller MF, Ruhangaza CF, Emiru H, Belachew Y, Tumebo A, Paoletti M, Okrainec A, Chan V, Niazi A. Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia: feasibility and effectiveness of teaching via telesimulation in Ethiopia. Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. 2021 Aug 1;46(8):722-6. https://cutt.ly/B4z2WQc
  6. Aspler A, Kegel F, Beyene T, Zewdu T, Tesfaye B, McKnight A, Cheung E, Bryan J, Acton C. Establishing a Self-sustaining Emergency Medicine Point-of-Care Ultrasound Curriculum in an Academic Teaching Hospital in Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences. 2022 May 1;32(3). https://cutt.ly/S4z2j1N
  7. Tadesse AZ, Abicho TB, Alemu DM, Aspler A. Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Utilization and Barriers by Senior Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Residents at Two Teaching Referral Hospitals, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Emergency Medicine International. 2023 Mar 18;2023. https://cutt.ly/S4zMisZ

 

PRESENTATIONS

  1. Stachura MR, Landes M, Azazh A, Aklilu F, Sarrazin J, Landes M, Azazh A. Evaluation of a Point-of-Care Ultrasound Scan List in the Emergency Department at Black Lion Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. CAEP Conference 2014. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Poster Presentation)
  2. Douglas-Vail, M., Aspler, A., Stefan, A., Patel, H and Beyene, T. An overview of global health and humanitarian POCUS - lessons from the field. CAEP Conference 2023. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 2023 May 30. (Oral Presentation)
  3. Cruz-Kan K, Ismath M, Hannah Girdler, Dr. Tigist Zewdu, Dr. Temesgen Beyene Beyene, Dr. Inderjeet Singh Sahota.How can EM POCUS tackle rheumatic heart disease in Ethiopia? ICEM 2025. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 2025 May 25. (Poster Presentation)
  4. Girdler H, Beyene T, Wytsma J, Zewdu T, Sahota I. Surveying point of care ultrasound usage in emergency medicine by Ethiopian emergency physicians: a national needs assessment. ICEM 2025. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 2025 May 25. (Poster Presentation)
  5. Beyene T, Bryan J, Sahota I, Nowacki A. Shaping the Future of EM: Leadership, Research, and PoCUS in Global Education. ICEM 2025. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 2025 May 26. (Panel Presentation)
  6. Girdler H, Beyene T, Zewdu T, Sahota I. Evaluating the East African point-of-care ultrasound training program: lessons learned and best practices. ICEM 2025. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 2025 May 27. (Moderated Poster Presentation)

Funding

We are very grateful for the continued financial support from the following donors and granting agencies (in alphabetical order):

Emergency Department

Emergency Department

Emergency Department