Focused cardiac ultrasound examination in the emergency and critical care horse: Training for non-specialist veterinarians and evaluation of proficiency.
Authors: Eberhardt Christina, Schwarzwald Colin C
Journal: Journal of veterinary internal medicine
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Focused Equine Cardiac Ultrasound Training Point-of-care cardiac assessment using hand-carried ultrasound devices is becoming increasingly valuable in emergency and critical care settings, yet standardised training protocols and proficiency benchmarks for equine practitioners have been lacking. Eberhardt and Schwarzwald developed a focused equine cardiac ultrasound (eFoCUS) protocol and evaluated its teachability through a single-day training course delivered to veterinarians and veterinary students of varying experience levels, using three healthy Warmblood horses for practical instruction. Participants demonstrated substantial improvements in pathology recognition (from a mean of 65.7% pre-course to 92% post-course), with 86% achieving proficiency in image acquisition by the end of training and median image quality scores of 79%; notably, prior practical experience provided no advantage, suggesting the structured protocol was equally effective for novices. These findings have significant implications for equine practice: non-specialist veterinarians—including those in first-opinion and emergency settings—can realistically develop competency in cardiac point-of-care ultrasound with minimal time investment, enabling earlier detection of significant pathology such as pericardial effusion, ventricular dysfunction, or arrhythmia-related structural changes during colic, trauma, or sepsis cases. Implementation of standardised eFoCUS training into continuing professional development programmes could enhance diagnostic capacity across diverse equine practices.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Veterinarians without prior ultrasound experience can effectively learn focused cardiac ultrasound in horses through structured 1-day training courses, enabling point-of-care cardiac assessment in emergency situations
- •Image quality and proficiency in performing eFoCUS do not depend on prior practical ultrasound experience, making this skill accessible to general practitioners
- •Implementation of standardized eFoCUS protocols and training programs could improve emergency cardiac assessment capabilities across equine veterinary practices
Key Findings
- •Post-course knowledge of echocardiographic pathology improved from mean 65.7% to 92%
- •18 of 21 participants (86%) achieved proficiency in performing eFoCUS after 1-day training
- •Median image quality score was 79% (range 42-95%) with no significant difference between experienced and inexperienced participants
- •Non-specialist veterinarians can become proficient in focused cardiac ultrasound regardless of prior practical experience