 - Informed Consent for ultrasonographic examination. The use of use of ultrasound for the assessment and management of critically ill patients in the ICU and emergency room is considered as standard of care and is routinely practiced in ICUs around the world. Since ultrasound evaluation has become incorporated into usual ICU practice, written consent is not required in its routine use. We therefore ask for a waiver of informed consent since we will not be performing any deviation from usual ICU care and our study is simply a collection of practice into a protocolized form. 