Wavelength Academy · Lung
Lung ultrasound in the breathless patient
Use the probe to answer the questions a chest X-ray answers slowly or not at all: is there a pneumothorax, is the lung wet, is it consolidated, and is there fluid at the base? Learn the bat sign, sliding and its mimics, B-lines, consolidation and the spine sign.
- 1.5 hours CPD
- 7 lessons
- 5 cases
- 15-question assessment
- Pass mark 80%
- Free
What you will learn
- Place lung ultrasound within the assessment of the breathless patient, and explain how artefacts carry the diagnosis
- Find the pleural line between two rib shadows and judge lung sliding
- Confirm or exclude pneumothorax under the probe with sliding, B-lines, lung pulse and the lung point
- Recognise interstitial syndrome, consolidation and pleural effusion
- Document findings by zone and act on them safely
Lessons
- Context: reading artefacts10 min
- Technique: find the bat, then the zones12 min
- Pneumothorax: absent sliding is not enough15 min
- B-lines and interstitial syndrome10 min
- Consolidation: watch the air bronchograms breathe10 min
- Pleural effusion: find the spine above the diaphragm12 min
- Putting it together and documenting8 min
- Cases13 min
- Final assessment: 15 questions, pass mark 80%9 min
Who it is for
Emergency, acute and urgent care doctors, advanced clinical practitioners and physician associates, from first scans to supervisors.
Your certificate
Pass the assessment and we email your certificate as a PDF: your name, the module, 1.5 hours of CPD, the date and a code anyone can check at thewavelength.co.uk/elearning/verify. Upload it to your e-portfolio with a short reflection. Wavelength issues the certificate itself. It is not accredited by an external body, so record the hours as self-directed CPD under your own college or regulator's rules. The certificate records completed learning. Sign-off to scan independently stays with your department.
About this module
Author. Dr Firas Abou-Auda, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Course Director, Wavelength.
Published. October 2026. Next review. October 2028.
Conflicts of interest. Dr Firas Abou-Auda is Course Director of Wavelength, which runs paid ultrasound courses.
References
- Volpicelli G, et al. International evidence-based recommendations for point-of-care lung ultrasound. Intensive Care Medicine. 2012;38:577.
- Lichtenstein DA, Mezière GA. Relevance of lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute respiratory failure: the BLUE protocol. Chest. 2008;134:117-25.
- Roberts ME, et al. British Thoracic Society guideline for pleural disease. Thorax. 2023;78(Suppl 3):s1.
- Intensive Care Society. Focused Ultrasound for Intensive Care (FUSIC) Lung accreditation pathway.
- American College of Emergency Physicians. Ultrasound guidelines: emergency, point-of-care and clinical ultrasound guidelines in medicine. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 2023.
- Royal College of Emergency Medicine. Point-of-care ultrasound appendix to the RCEM curriculum.