The CORE scan: concentrated overview of resuscitative efforts.

Critically ill patients require rapid, accurate assessments and appropriate therapeutic interventions to maximize their chances of recovery. Often the cause of a patient's decompensation is not readily apparent based solely on history and physical examination findings. The Concentrated Overview of Resuscitative Efforts (CORE scan) is a compilation of targeted bedside ultrasound exams that should be performed during the assessment and management of critically ill patients. The CORE scan can be used to help make critical diagnoses and guide resuscitation efforts in patients with undifferentiated deterioration.