Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care, Medical Procedures, Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS), and Disaster Medicine

| Cerebral Link | Publish by Cerebral Publication Private Limited | 2026 | Volume 2 | Page 1-300 | ISBN: 978-81-689463-2-3 | Book Title: - Textbook of Modern General Medicine | Chapter-11: Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care, Medical Procedures, Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS), and Disaster Medicine

Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care, Medical Procedures, Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS), .

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Abstract

Emergency medicine and intensive care encompass the rapid assessment, stabilization, diagnosis, and management of patients with acute, life-threatening, and time-sensitive medical conditions. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of emergency medicine, intensive care, essential medical procedures, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), and disaster medicine, emphasizing systematic clinical assessment, early resuscitation, evidence-based interventions, patient safety, and multidisciplinary coordination. The emergency approach incorporates rapid triage and structured assessment of airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and exposure, followed by targeted evaluation and definitive management. Major emergencies discussed include cardiac arrest, shock, acute respiratory failure, altered consciousness, seizures, severe infections, anaphylaxis, poisoning, metabolic emergencies, and acute cardiovascular and neurological events.

Intensive care principles include hemodynamic monitoring, oxygen therapy, non-invasive and invasive mechanical ventilation, fluid and vasopressor therapy, sedation, nutritional support, prevention of intensive care complications, and management of multiorgan dysfunction. Essential bedside procedures—including airway management, vascular access, arterial blood sampling, central venous catheterization, lumbar puncture, thoracentesis, paracentesis, and other commonly performed interventions—are considered with attention to indications, contraindications, technique, and complication prevention.

POCUS is presented as an increasingly valuable bedside diagnostic tool for focused assessment of cardiac function, lungs, intravascular volume, abdominal pathology, vascular conditions, and procedural guidance, while emphasizing appropriate training and recognition of its limitations. Disaster medicine addresses mass-casualty incidents, disaster triage, resource allocation, emergency preparedness, incident coordination, and management during natural, technological, and public-health emergencies. Integration of rapid clinical reasoning, resuscitation skills, procedural competence, bedside imaging, teamwork, and disaster preparedness is essential for reducing preventable mortality and improving outcomes in critically ill and emergency patients.

Keywords: Emergency Medicine; Intensive Care; Critical Care; Medical Procedures; POCUS; Resuscitation; Mechanical Ventilation; Shock; Disaster Medicine; Mass-Casualty Triage