Point of Care Ultrasound in Remote and Rural Medicine with Sarah Spelsberg

In this episode, we discuss an article by Dr. Sarah Spelsberg titled “HOCUS POCUS, the Magic of Point of Care Ultrasound in Remote and Rural Medicine.” The piece explores the transformative impact of Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in austere, remote, and rural healthcare environments, with a particular focus on the Butterfly Ultrasound device.

Dr. Spelsberg outlines the persistent barriers to wider POCUS adoption, including limitations around funding, access to equipment, and adequate training. She then shares her personal journey of fundraising to secure a Butterfly device for her clinic in Unalaska, Alaska, highlighting the practical realities of delivering frontline care in isolated settings.

Through a series of powerful clinical case examples, the article demonstrates how POCUS enabled early and accurate diagnoses of serious conditions such as pneumonia, an acute myocardial infarction, and cholecystitis—situations where access to advanced imaging was not available. These cases underscore the device’s role in improving diagnostic confidence, expediting care, and directly influencing patient outcomes.

Dr. Spelsberg concludes that POCUS is intuitive, accessible, and an essential tool for clinicians working in remote and rural medicine. Its use not only improves patient care but can also help avoid unnecessary, costly, and high-risk medical evacuations.

The original blog post can be found here:
https://roguemed.medium.com/hocus-pocus-the-magic-of-point-of-care-ultrasound-in-remote-and-rural-medicine-96465b0ba700

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