Workshops 

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is crucial for managing both critically ill and non-critical patients, transforming perioperative and emergency care. Its uses go beyond hospitals to rural clinics, NHL locker rooms, and even the International Space Station. In Canada, POCUS is essential. Basic training is part of medical school curricula, serving as the foundation of an anesthesia training program. For anesthesiologists, mastering POCUS is key to providing advanced care. We have offered POCUS education at the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society annual meetings for the past five years. The workshop faculty includes leading anesthesiologists from top academic centres, catering to diverse learners. This course is designed for anesthesiologists, residents, and fellows to develop foundational perioperative POCUS skills.
 

Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) is useful, available at bed side with even new portable, handheld ultrasound devices which increases their practical availability. PoCUS can be helpful for evaluation of upper airway (AW) structures which has been proven to be a valuable and a non-invasive tool for emergency physicians, critical care physicians and anesthesiologists. Training and understanding the applied sonoanatomy of the airway will enable physicians to predict difficult airway, and to perform procedures such as percutaneous cricothyroidotomy or tracheostomy, confirmation of endotracheal tube (ETT) placement, and screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Other signs and screening tools for OSA such as diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and tricuspid regurgitation with focused cardiac ultrasound will be included as well in our workshop teaching objectives. Our team is leading the use of PoCUS as a screening tool for OSA on national and international level.
 

Point-of-care gastric ultrasound is a valuable bedside tool to assess gastric content and volume, refine aspiration risk stratification, and guide anesthetic management in patients with uncertain fasting status or altered gastric emptying. This workshop will provide participants with both the skills to perform and interpret gastric ultrasound. After a short lecture to review the relevant sonoanatomy, scanning technique, indication and interpretation principles, participants will rotate through hands-on stations with expert instructors. Live models and case-based discussions will be used to demonstrate normal and pathological findings (empty, clear fluid and solid content). Clinical scenarios will cover high-risk populations such as obstetric, diabetic, emergency, and GLP-1 receptor agonist users. By the end of the session, attendees will be able to integrate gastric ultrasound findings into perioperative decision-making
 

This workshop will explore the practical use of total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) and target-controlled infusion (TCI) systems in contemporary anesthetic practice. Through a case-based discussion, participants will examine pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles underpinning TCI models, strategies for maintaining adequate hypnosis and analgesia, and considerations for airway management, hemodynamic stability, and patient safety. Challenges such as drug interactions, delayed emergence, infusion pump limitations, and use in special populations will be addressed. Participants will apply concepts through guided discussion to optimize decision-making in TIVA/TCI-based anesthetics.
 

Modern medicine demands constant performance under pressure. Join us for a 3-hour immersive workshop that pairs advanced breathing techniques with the mindful mechanics of crochet. You will learn how repetitive motor skills can trigger a "neuro-mechanical reset," reducing heart rate and tension in real-time. Leave with a custom "Stress-Relief Square" designed to be your physical anchor during a hectic shift.
 

This workshop will explore indications and standard ultrasound-guided approaches to various regional anesthesia techniques for chest trauma analgesia. Teaching will be in 2 formats. First the facilitator will provide a brief introduction of each block and a case scenario. The delegates will then be divided into small groups for hands-on scanning experience on live models with an expert faculty helping them scan and identify the sonoanatomy and discuss relevant aspects of each block. Delegates will also have the opportunity to "Ask me anything!" at a station designed for delegates to have any regional anesthesia technique or question addressed by a regional anesthesia expert.
 

This workshop will explore indications and approaches for standard ultrasound-guided approaches or "Plan A Blocks" for the lower limb with the addition of gastric ultrasound. This combination will help practitioners review mainstay lower limb blocks and address questions in related patients with an uncertain fasting status that may be suitable for a block and sedation. Teaching will be in 2 formats. First the facilitator will provide a brief introduction of each ultrasound station and provide a related case scenario. The delegates will then be divided into small groups for hands-on scanning experience on live models with an expert faculty helping them scan and identify the sonoanatomy and discuss relevant aspects of each block or scan.
 

This workshop will explore indications and approaches for standard ultrasound-guided approaches or "Plan A Blocks" for the upper limb. Teaching will be in 2 formats. First the facilitator will provide a brief introduction of each block and a case scenario. The delegates will then be divided into small groups for hands-on scanning experience on live models with an expert faculty helping them scan and identify the sonoanatomy and discuss relevant aspects of each block. Delegates will also have the opportunity to "Ask me anything!" at a station designed for delegates to have any regional anesthesia technique or question addressed by an expert.
 

This hands-on, simulation-based workshop equips community anesthesiologists with practical, evidence-informed strategies for managing pediatric airways—from infants to teenagers—when cases are infrequent but potentially high stakes. Participants will review developmental airway differences, master age-specific techniques, and apply structured algorithms for elective and emergency situations. Through three rotating skill stations (1. Mask Ventilation and Supraglottic Airway Rescue; 2. Video Laryngoscopy and Difficult Intubation Strategies; 3. Front-of-Neck and Emergency Airway Access) and a 1-hr high-fidelity simulation, and facilitated debriefing, attendees will strengthen both technical proficiency and crisis resource management skills to improve safety and confidence when caring for children in community practice.