I am a nephrologist and hypertension specialist. As a clinician educator, I focus on point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS), with a particular emphasis on Doppler-assisted hemodynamic assessment. The inception of this blog was aimed at compiling all the POCUS images I shared on Twitter (@NephroP), along with sharing interesting cases and articles related to POCUS. I'm thrilled to see it grow organically, driven by the increasing interest in POCUS across multiple specialties.
PubMed link to my publications: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=abhilash+koratala&sort=date
In clinical practice, size, and collapsibility of the IVC is used as a surrogate for right atrial pressure (RAP). In spontaneously breathing patients, inspiration causes negative intrathoracic pressure and collapses […]
This is a commonly heard term in echocardiography. Foreshortening occurs when the ultrasound beam does not cut through the true apex of the left ventricle but transects above and anterior […]
While performing POCUS, it is important to pay attention to what’s happening ‘around’ the kidney as well – sometimes it can save lives. Here are sonographic images obtained from a […]
Here is a subcostal view of the heart obtained from a young lupus patient presenting with symptoms of new onset heart failure. Nephrologists may encounter this type of presentation in […]
These images were obtained from a dialysis patient during routine screening for renal cell carcinoma. In addition to kidneys being small with thin parenchyma, note the hypoechoic, sharply demarcated area […]
Pericardial cysts are uncommon and represent approximately 5% of thoracic cysts. Most of these are asymptomatic and usually detected incidentally. However, in case of chest trauma, they can rupture leading […]
What does this subcostal view show? In a twitter poll, more than 50% thought its either pericardial effusion or a pericardial tumor. The correct answer is ascites. Subcostal view of […]
Hyperkalemia is probably the most common reason for an urgent nephrology consult. Most of us are familiar with the EKG changes associated with hyperkalemia, though surprisingly, only ~55% of patients […]
Confusing the aorta with the inferior vena cava (IVC) is a classic POCUS pitfall, often dismissed as a “rookie mistake,” yet not unheard of even among experienced users, particularly when […]
Below is a sonographic image of transverse view of the lower pelvis showing Foley balloon (arrow) outside (posterior to) the bladder wall in a woman. What is posterior to bladder […]
