Rural POCUS Rounds: Valves

Join Dr. Claire Heslop on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, for a talk on POCUS on Valves.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Point-of-Care Transthoracic Echocardiography for Heart Valves

• Review Key Imaging Views
  • Understand how to obtain and interpret standard TTE views, including parasternal long-axis, parasternal short-axis, apical, and subxiphoid views, for valve evaluation.
• Recognize Valve Anatomy and Function
  • Distinguish normal and abnormal heart valve anatomy and movement to assess valve function and identify common pathologies such as stenosis or regurgitation.
• Assess Hemodynamic Implications
  • Evaluate the hemodynamic significance of valve abnormalities using point-of-care techniques, including Doppler imaging, to guide clinical decision-making.
• Understand the Limitations of TTE
  • Identify the limitations of point-of-care TTE in heart valve assessment, including technical challenges, operator dependence, and the need for advanced testing in complex cases.
• Integrate TTE Findings into Clinical Practice
  • Develop strategies to incorporate TTE findings into the broader rural medicine context, prioritizing appropriate referrals and management for patients with valve pathology in resource-limited settings.

Key Speakers

Dr. Claire Heslop
Claire Heslop is an emergency physician, practicing in Toronto at both adult and pediatric academic emergency departments. She trained in BC and Ontario, but has also practiced emergency medicine in rural hospitals both in Canada and New Zealand. She has previously been co-director for POCUS at the University Health Network, and Co-Lead of Undergraduate Ultrasound Education at U of T, and currently leads and teaches the Rural Ultrasound Fellowship, a virtual one-year POCUS fellowship for rural doctors both across Canada and abroad.