Introduction to OB GYN Ultrasound

This comprehensive course was created for the women’s health practitioner who is interested in adding point of care ultrasound to their scope of practice. It consists of a combination of recorded lectures and hands-on scanning videos. We start at the beginning to give you a foundation for building your skill set. Ultrasound is a critical piece in the puzzle of women’s health and we are proud to be a part of advancing the availability of quality ultrasound services to the world.

This course begins with a series of lectures on ultrasound principles, image orientation, scanning technique and knobology. This is your foundation. Once you understand the basics of ultrasound we move on to anatomy and physiology. Here we begin with the nongravid pelvis. This includes evaluation of the uterus, ovaries, endometrium and cervix. Next we review the first trimester exam from conception through the thirteenth week. This includes crown rump length measurements, gestational sac and yolk sac evaluation, m-mode assessment for viability and abnormal findings. We move into the second trimester by reviewing the growth and anatomy scan. This lecture series focuses on normal. Once you can identify normal, you will be able to catch an anomaly. The third trimester is covered next. Here we discuss biometry, amniotic fluid assessment, placenta location, cervical length and the biophysical profile. An introduction to twins is included because you never know when you will run into them! We also include common anomalies and syndromes. Finally, we include a physics section that provides a firm foundation for the creation of the ultrasound image and how we can manipulate it.

This is a comprehensive course created for the women’s health practitioner who is interested in adding point of care ultrasound to their scope of practice. Hands-on scanning videos help to solidify the concepts taught in the lectures.

Course Objectives

1. Recognize basic ultrasound artifacts
2. Discover common pathology and limitations of ultrasound
3. Perform a basic non-gravid ultrasound exam
4. Identify the uterus, ovaries, endometrium and cervix
5. Identify an intrauterine pregnancy and measure the crown rump length
6. Acquire an M-mode tracing of the fetal heart
7. Perform a biophysical profile
8. Measure the biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, and femur length for growth assessment
9. Measure the amniotic fluid
10.Identify the cervix and placental location
11. Communicate in a culturally-sensitive manner to patients who refuse transvaginal ultrasounds and discuss available alternatives.