Diploma in Ultrasound in Emergencies and Critical Areas

Director

• Dr. Leandro Seoane

Professors 

• Dr. Adrián Ruggiero
• Dr. Anabela Martinelli
• Dr. Martín Diana Menéndez
• Dr. Liz Romero

Destined to: Emergency physicians, intensivists, pediatricians, clinicians, general practitioners, surgeons, and final-year residents in these specialties.

• The course lasts 9 months, with one class per month from 14 pm to 20 pm, on the third Friday of April through December. Exceptionally, the September class will be held on Friday the 25th instead of Friday the 18th. From October onwards, the schedule will continue to be held on the third Friday of each month.
• Theoretical classes 14 to 17 pm and practical classes 17 to 20 pm.
• Location: Austral University Hospital.
• Total hours of the diploma course: Five hundred (500) hours distributed as follows:
  • Theoretical lecture hours: 24 h.
  • Practical lecture hours: 24 h.
  • Tutorial Hours: 100 h per monograph presentation.
  • Accredited practical hours of ultrasound: 352 h, over 9 months. At least 3 hours of weekly practice is suggested during the diploma period.

The theoretical classes may be subject to modifications, with or without prior notice, according to the circumstances that may arise during the development of the diploma program. 

1 Class

• Course presentation (timetable, monograph, practicals, bibliography).
• Physics and anatomy of ultrasound.
• Thorax: Anatomy and scope. Detection of pleural effusion, parenchyma (pneumonia, atelectasis), A-B lines, and pneumothorax. Diaphragmatic excursion.

2 Class

• Acute non-traumatic abdomen I: liver (segmentation) and gallbladder. Acute infectious diseases: cholecystitis, pancreatitis. Evaluation of the right iliac fossa.
• Acute non-traumatic abdomen II: Acute and chronic liver failure. Portal thrombosis. Major liver lesions (cysts, tumors, etc.)

3 Class

• Acute non-traumatic abdomen III: urinary tract, hydronephrosis, renal stones and masses, bladder size, scrotum. Prostate, measurement and prostatic disease (acute/chronic prostatitis)
• Traumatic acute abdomen. FAST-E, hemoperitoneum, hemothorax, hemopericardium, pneumothorax.

4 Class

• CNS ultrasound. TCD, ocular ultrasound and midbrain line ultrasound for intracranial hypertension. Carotid dissection.
• Airway and OT intubation with ultrasound guidance.
• Peripheral vascular assessment: deep vein thrombosis. Vascular anatomy and relationships; arteries in the lower extremities. Doppler.

5 Class

• Obstetrics and Gynecology: Anatomy of the uterus, cervix, adnexa, and cul-de-sac. Gynecological emergencies, bleeding fibroids, and ovarian cysts. Detection of a normally inserted IUD.
• Pregnancy diagnosis. Basic fetal biometry (BPD, LEM, SG, FL, HC, AC), ectopic pregnancy, fetal heartbeat, trauma in pregnant women, threatened abortion, placenta.

6 Class

• Partial examination.

• Abdominal vascular assessment (aorta and IVC): abdominal aortic aneurysm. Anatomy of major branches, inferior vena cava. Detection of saccular aneurysms, dissections. Hemoperitoneum.
• "ABCDS" protocol in PCR. FEEL protocol.

7 Class

• Hemodynamic evaluation of a patient in shock. RUSH scan protocol. Inferior vena cava, collapse index. Carotid flow velocity and cardiac output. Peak systolic variability and responsiveness.
• Echocardiographic evaluation. Windows, qualitative and quantitative assessment of contractility. Measurement of non-invasive cardiac output (NVO2). Critical pulmonary assessment and its unified interpretation. FOCUS protocol.

8 Class

• Interventional procedures: guided procedures; central and peripheral vascular access, pericardiocentesis, paracentesis, pleural puncture, lumbar puncture and ultrasound-guided nerve blocks.

• Soft tissues: anatomy of skin, muscle and lymph nodes; identification of skin abscesses, joint fluid, muscle/tendon tears, testicles and hernias.

9 Class

• Final multiple-choice assessment. Submission of monograph with dissertation.

*Program subject to change

• Theoretical and practical classes: The courses are held on the third Friday of each month at the Austral University Hospital from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Theoretical classes will be from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM and practical classes from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The course is divided into two main modules, each with a multiple-choice midterm exam. A score of 70% or higher is required to pass the midterm. A retake is available at the end of the year. Only one absence from two theoretical classes per year is permitted.
• Coaching: The student must demonstrate 3 hours of weekly ultrasound training at the hospital where the student works or at another center under supervision.
• Final exam: After completing the course, the student must pass the multiple choice exam with more than 70% correct answers and pass the final practical exam on the same day with 70%.
• Monograph: At the end of the course, students must submit, on time and in the required format, an original and personal monograph on a topic related to emergency ultrasound or critical care areas. They must pass with a score of 7 or higher (on a scale of 1 to 10).

• Be a regular student with no more than 2 absences per year.
• Having passed the QUIZ of each module, partial or make-up exams (one for each partial) and final theoretical and practical exam.
• Having passed the monograph.
• No outstanding debt with course fees.

• Official Certificate – Digital Format

Diploma courses are not considered degrees but rather courses and therefore do not issue titles but certificates (DNGU. DOCUS N°3. Inc.12).

Dear Postgraduate Participant, we would like to inform you of the latest updates regarding the tuition policies for our undergraduate and postgraduate programs:

Due to the complex economic situation in Argentina, the tuition fees for our programs and degrees are adjusted periodically. This is to preserve the academic quality that underpins our value proposition and to meet the University's commitments and obligations. These increases will be based on indicators reported by the Central Bank of Argentina.

Once again, we appreciate the trust you have placed in our University and renew our commitment to providing you with the highest level of training and professional development.

• Payment Policies: The participant must pay or confirm their payment method and/or fee at least 72 hours prior to the start of the activity through the means mentioned in the FEES section.
  • Duty: Accepted payment methods: VISA, Mastercard and American Express debit and credit cards, Decidir and Mercado Pago.
  • Due to current regulations, the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences cannot receive cash. For this reason, only electronic payment methods will be accepted during activity accreditation.
• Cancellation policy prior to the start of the course: Cancellations must be made at least 96 hours in advance through a formal channel by sending an email to posgradofcb@austral.edu.ar placing in the subject WITHDRAWAL REQUEST – “Name of Course/Activity” (In the body of the message, you must include your personal information: name and surname, ID number).
• Cancellation policy during the course (not applicable to short courses): The participant must send an email to posgradofcb@austral.edu.ar with the subject line "Withdrawal Request" – "Course/Activity Name" (include your personal information in the body of the message: first and last name, ID). The withdrawal must be sent between the 1st and 10th of the current month. The corresponding fee will be billed and debited starting on the 11th.

• Refund Policy: If you do not participate in the program and/or activity, and do not process the corresponding withdrawal request in a timely manner, no refund requests will be accepted.

• Tuition refund policy: The registration fee serves as a deposit to reserve a place and is non-refundable once paid. If you request to withdraw, your enrollment status for that activity during the current academic period will be considered.

• Partial refund policy: In the event that the student/participant has made the full payment for the course in advance or has made advance payments through open plans:

1. If the activity has not started: You will be able to recover 100% of the advance payments at the current value at the time of payment, less 5% for administrative expenses.
2. If the activity started and progressed to 30% of the total course time: 50% of the advance payments will be refunded at the current value at the time of payment, less 5% for administrative expenses.
3. If the activity progressed more than 30% of the total course time: Advance payments will not be refunded.

• Replacement policy: If the registered person is unable to participate in the program and with prior notice of at least 96 hours before the date of the event, they may transfer their participation to a third party.
• Activities that grant a certificate of participation: The minimum required attendance of 70% of the academic program, its activities, and administrative debt must be met to request the corresponding certification.
• The discounts/promotions offered cannot be combined.
• The opening of the program or course is subject to the number of students enrolled at the time of its start.
• Procurement policies do not apply to non-tariff activities.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS:

How do I know if my degree or program has been accredited by CONEAU? Those programs or courses that have ministerial accreditation will display the resolution or file number and corresponding accreditation year at the top of the page. Programs that do not have accreditation will extend "certificate" to the participant and not the title.