Cardiac ultrasonography.

The use of cardiac ultrasonography in the emergency department currently has two primary indications: determining the presence of cardiac tamponade and determining cardiac activity in patients with apparent pulselessness. Physicians are able to recognize both conditions after appropriate, but not overextensive, training sessions. The evaluation of penetrating trauma, acute myocardial infarction, and severe shock of uncertain origin require a higher degree of training and experience. All of these conditions are discussed in this article.