Global FAST® Ultrasound Course with Remote Lectures

plus  Hands-on Scanning Session – 11-hours RACE-approved CE credits

*Note: This is a different course than the “Online Only” Individual or Bundled AFAST®-TFAST®, and VetBLUE®-Global FAST® 24-hours of courseware for those already doing ultrasound that wants a more in-depth knowledge of our approach.

This course includes ~ 7-hours of online presentations AND 4-hours of hands-on Global FAST® scanning session by Dr. Greg Lisciandro or one of our FASTVet Global FAST®-certified Instructors.

The presentations cover AFAST®, TFAST®, and Vet BLUE®, combined called Global FAST®, plus a Global FAST® Image Acquisition Supplemental Module. Quizzes must be passed with a score of 80% or higher to move on to the next module. Objectives are listed by scrolling through to the bottom of this page.

These Online presentations should be 100% completed prior to the hands-on Global FAST® scanning session.  Once you have successfully completed the Global FAST® course, a certificate for 11-hours of RACE-approved continuing education will be issued.  Send any logistic questions to Dr. Stephanie Lisciandro at focusedvet@gmail.com and content questions or comments to Dr. Gregory Lisciandro at LearnGlobalFAST@gmail.com and FastSavesLives@gmail.com

This course is truly a game-changer for veterinary medicine. Global FAST® is our NEW core skill!

Global FAST® Course Objectives

AFAST® – its target-organ approach, its abdominal fluid scoring system, plus other add-on skills, practical and heavily case-based.

• Its standardized methodology of view order, imaging target-organs, and standardized probe maneuvering.
• Its use as a soft tissue screening test for abnormalities completely missed or only suspected by physical exam, blood and urine testing, and radiography.
  • AFAST® is a much better test for free fluid because radiographic serosal detail is unreliable. 
• Its use for characterizing the caudal vena cava and hepatic veins for assessing volume status and during fluid resuscitation. 
• Its use for estimating urinary bladder volume using our CC View formula.
• Its use for assessing the gastrointestinal tract.
• Its use for detecting “free air”, pneumoperitoneum.
• It’s fluid scoring system for bleeding and non-bleeding patients.
  • Its “weak positive” and “strong positive” scoring.  
  • Its “small volume” versus “large volume” bleeder-effusion principles. 
  • Its use for decision-making regarding transfusions, fluid resuscitation, and surgical intervention.
  • Serves as a tracking tool for worsening, static, and improving effusions by following its fluid scoring system.

TFAST® – its use for accurately detecting pleural and pericardial effusion, TFAST® Fundamental Echo views, pneumothorax, practical and heavily case-based.

• Our TFAST® rules for accurately detecting pleural and pericardial effusion.
  • Rule outs for pleural and pericardial effusion.
  • Why you should never “flash” or “selectively POCUS” for pleural and pericardial effusion.
• TFAST® fundamental right- and left-sided echocardiography views and clinical utility for:
  •  Volume and contractility.
  • Left-sided problems.
  • Right-sided problems.
  • EPIC Guideline Measurements.
  • Using Global FAST® Non-echo Fallback Views to integrate the CVC and hepatic veins (R-CHF) and Vet BLUE® (L-CHF).
• TFAST® as a soft tissue screening test of the heart (because the cardiac silhouette is a poor test), pleural cavity, and thorax.
• TFAST for Pneumothorax (PTX).
  • Imaging Pearls including our “one-eyed gator sign”
  • “Lung Point” principles.
  • Use of the TFAST 1/3’s rule for semimuantitating PTX and tracking its course.

Vet BLUE® – the 6 Vet BLUE® Lung Ultrasound Signs, its regional pattern-based approach for a rapid working diagnosis, practical and heavily case-based.  The ultrasound probe is our new stethoscope!

• Understanding the “Gator Sign” orientation, “Dry Lung” artifacts, and “Wet Lung” artifacts.
• Use of the Vet BLUE® regional pattern-based approach for a working diagnosis.
  • Rapidly point-of-care helps sort out common respiratory conditions (<90 seconds):
    • Cardiogenic pulmonary edema.
    • Non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema.
    • Lung hemorrhage.
    • Pneumonia.
    • Nodular disease.
    • Pulmonary Thromboembolism.
    • Feline asthma.
• The Vet BLUE® B-line Scoring System and “weak positives” versus “strong positives.”
  • Its inherent severity scoring system by regional view’s score and distribution.
  • Its use for tracking patients (static, worsening, improving, and complete resolution) and helping dictate therapy.
• The Vet BLUE® Visual Lung Language:
  • Shred Sign
  • Tissue Sign
  • Nodule Sign
  • Wedge Sign.
• Pitfalls and Imaging Pearls
• Use of Vet BLUE® to track or monitor patients.

Global FAST® for Staging Patients and Determining Potential Diagnostic Sampling Sites

Recording Your Findings on Standardized Goal-directed Templates

Course Instructor

Greg Lisciandro Author