Prehospital, Austere and Tactical Ultrasound

Michael J. Vitto, DO, MS, FACEP - Chair

Mission

Support the continued effective utilization of emergency Ultrasound in the prehospital, austere and military settings.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is an essential part of military medicine as practiced in far forward and austere environments. Military Emergency Physicians have embraced the use of the Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma as well as musculoskeletal, ocular and all other core ultrasound modalities in caring for patients in resource limited environments.

The Army, Air Force, and Navy all have military ultrasound fellowships located at bases around the country. These fellowships are located in high acuity facilities including a level 1 trauma center and are focused on producing physicians capable of performing any emergency medicine ultrasound in any environment.

Military Emergency Physicians serve as leaders in military point of care ultrasound and provide instruction to other physicians and medical providers across a range of specialties, including pre-deployment and Individual Critical Task List training at sites across the United States.

Military Medicine is a leader in the use of ultrasound by medical providers other than physicians. The San Antonio Military Medical Center and Madigan Army Medical Center have two of the only Physician Assistant (PA) Ultrasound Fellowship programs in the country, focused on providing education to future PA educators and leaders.

As ultrasound machines became more compact, mobile, and less costly, EMS agencies have acquired machines and expanded use of point of care ultrasound on their patients. Critical care transports, air medicine, and wilderness providers are using ultrasound more and more.