Page 61 - CASA Bulletin of Anesthiology 2021, Vol 8, No. 6 (1)

Vol. 8, No. 6, 2021

The Current ASA Diagnostic POCUS Certification Program is focused on the primary scope:
st
Focused cardiac, gastric, and pleural/pulmonary ultrasound. Starting from January 1 , 2022,
FAST will be included in the primary Scope and the POCUS Certification Program.
The certification includes five components.

Part 1: Develop a “game plan” to achieve the individual goal for improvement of the
practice. This part also includes seven questions. The purpose of this is to qualify the MOCA
part 4 requirement.

Part 2: Diagnostic POCUS training. This can be accomplished through training during
residency or fellowship or participating in an ASA- approved program. The approved programs
include ASA POCUS certification workshop during the annual ASA meeting. The ASA POCUS
certification website also includes many other programs such as POCUS or Echo workshop
offered by ASRA, SCCM, SCA.

Part 3: Image Interpretation Training. This is an Online Case-Based Diagnostic POCUS
Module. The module starts with literature review and then Q and A case-based questions.
Currently, the interpretation is focused on the 2D images.

Part 4: Image Acquisition Training. The purpose of this is to demonstrate your ability “to
obtain standardized, interpretable clips”. It requires 30 lung ultrasounds, 30 gastric ultrasounds,
50 focused cardiac ultrasounds images. It is not necessary to submit the pathologic images. You
can either submit to an approved “local” mentor or ASA faculty. There is a fee difference
between the local mentor and ASA faculty mentor.

*Local mentor qualification: Meet one of the following and approved by ASA POCUS
Certification Editorial Board.

 A national certificate in relevant POCUS organ system(s) cardiac, lung, gastric
ultrasound
 Served as a faculty at a POCUS CME course
 Personally performed and interpreted a specific minimum number of POCUS exams in
the relevant organ system (150 cardiac, 50 lung, 50 gastric)
 Director of POCUS in your department/division/practice area

*I am an approved local mentor and will be happy to help anyone who wishes to obtain the
certification.

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