Field guide to critical care echocardiography: the UK view

This article provides an overview to the development and current position occupied by critical care echocardiography (CCE) in clinical practice in the UK. We discuss the key clinical and political drivers to the development of the subspecialty and give a detailed outline of the available levels and processes of accreditation in the UK. Discussion of clinical situations from our own practice is used to throw light on how the technique can contribute to clinical practice and how to introduce and maintain quality within that practice.