A simpler way to read the unstable patient.
One subcostal cardiac window — read together with the IVC and lungs — gives you the patient's physiology and a clear next step: fluid, pressor, inotrope, or hold.
87%of resident-obtained EASy exams were sufficient for clinical decision-making — after just one day of training.
See the evidenceNot a reduced echo — a decision system.
EASy is a subcostal-first, physiology-centered exam: a single cardiac acoustic window, integrated with IVC and lung findings, resolves into one of ten hemodynamic phenotypes — and each phenotype points to the next safest action. It puts rapid, accurate hemodynamic assessment in the hands of clinicians at every level, from novice to expert.
Six views. One probe. A fixed sequence. Learnable in a focused course.
The 6 EASy Views
A systematic bedside exam using only a phased array probe, in a fixed order
Subcostal 4-Chamber
Visualize both ventricles, atria, and valves. Assess global cardiac function.
Subcostal IVC
Evaluate IVC diameter and respiratory variation for preload assessment.
Right Upper Lung
Assess for A-lines, B-lines, and lung sliding at 2nd intercostal space.
Left Upper Lung
Mirror assessment of the left lung for pulmonary pathology.
Right Pleural
Evaluate for pleural effusion, hemothorax, and consolidation.
Left Pleural
Left-sided view completing the bilateral pleural assessment.
From seeing to deciding
Most ultrasound training stops at the heart. EASy layers the IVC (volume and back-pressure) and the lungs (congestion) on top — and the three combine into the one thing that decides management.
Same weak heart
Flat IVC, dry lungs — give fluid.
Opposite decision
Plump IVC, wet lungs — hold fluid, start a pressor.
Seeing the heart is the start. The hemodynamic phenotype is the decision.
10 phenotypes, 4 clusters
Heart, IVC, and lung patterns resolve into one of ten hemodynamic phenotypes, grouped by the dominant cardiac finding. Each points to the next safest action.
Pick the dominant cardiac finding
Both ventricles working well — normal or increased contractility
What you see
Heart: Small cavity, increased contractility
IVC: Flat
Lungs: A pattern (dry)fluid-tolerant
What it means
Hypovolemic shock — the tank is empty.
What to do
Give fluid, and find the source of the loss.
Phenotypes are dynamic. A phenotype names the predominant profile right now — not a fixed diagnosis. EASy is built for the first look and serial reassessment: re-scan when the patient changes.
Print-ready phenotype & resuscitation reference for your ultrasound machines.
What EASy is — and what it isn't
EASy lowers the barrier to bedside hemodynamics. It doesn't raise it.
EASy is
- A handful of subcostal, IVC, and lung views
- Qualitative, 2D pattern recognition
- A path from image to a management decision
- Dynamic — built for serial reassessment
- Learnable in a focused course
EASy is not
- A full echo exam or perfect imaging
- Doppler, strain, or quantitative calculation
- Image acquisition for its own sake
- A one-time snapshot
- A multi-year echocardiography fellowship
Those exclusions are deliberate — they keep EASy reproducible, fast, and usable on the patients who can't wait.
Validated in peer-reviewed studies
of resident-obtained EASy exams (55/63) were sufficient for clinical decision-making after one day of training.
Bughrara et al., Critical Care Explorations, 2024 →of EASy-PDA exams (26/30) guided management before emergency intubation.
Bughrara et al., Critical Care Explorations, 2025 →“By simplifying the steps needed to obtain images and extract clinically actionable results, the goal is to broaden the range of clinicians who are able to use POCUS at the bedside.”
— Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2025
Developed by Nibras F. Bughrara, MD, FCCM, FASA
Professor of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, Vice Chair of Education, and Division Chief of Critical Care at Albany Medical College; co-founder of the EASy POCUS Society. EASy is taught with collaborators from Johns Hopkins, Yale, and HSS, and used to train clinicians across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
This week's clinical scenario
A real EASy POCUS case to sharpen your phenotyping.
EASy PDA Case 15
74M
74M with a PMH of T2DM, HTN, sleepwalking with multiple falls, presents with complaints of weakness and numbness below nipple line. Patient was found to have severe T6-9 fx with concern for transected spinal cord, dorsal epidural hematoma and right hemothorax, intubated for airway protection.
View the full scenariomembers onlyOne foundation, focused build-ons
Every clinician starts with EASy MAP, then adds workshops for the scenarios their team meets first.
Plus AI Phenotype — a research project on machine learning for automated phenotype identification (members only).
Train your team to read the unstable patient
Built for the teams who meet shock, airway, and arrest first. Validated in peer-reviewed research and taught internationally through workshops, online courses, and AI-assisted training tools.
Hands-on EASy training
From a one-day fundamentals workshop to train-the-trainer certification — live, case-based courses for clinicians at every level.
Start reading the unstable patient
Learn the EASy approach — the six views, the phenotypes, and the decision — then take the free bedside cards to your ultrasound machine.
Interested in bringing EASy to your institution? Get in touch.