International Journal of General Medicine (Dec 2021)
The POCUS Consult: How Point of Care Ultrasound Helps Guide Medical Decision Making
Abstract
Jake A Rice,1,2 Jonathan Brewer,2 Tyler Speaks,1 Christopher Choi,1 Peiman Lahsaei,1 Bryan T Romito1 1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; 2Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USACorrespondence: Bryan T RomitoDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX, 75390-9068, USATel +1 214 648 7674Fax +1 214 648 5461Email [email protected]: Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) allows for rapid, real-time evaluation of cardiovascular and respiratory pathology. The advent of portable, handheld devices and increased recognition by accrediting bodies of the importance of POCUS in guiding clinical decision making has expanded its use across the hospital setting and within medical training programs. POCUS allows clinicians to begin immediate investigation into their differential diagnoses without waiting for a formal imaging study, enhancing the speed of clinical interpretation. In addition to its diagnostic utility, POCUS can also inform clinicians of patients’ response to interventions when serial exams are obtained. This review examines the role of POCUS in the context of frequently encountered patients and highlights the key clinical questions that can be readily answered by POCUS.Keywords: hemodynamics, trauma, respiratory failure, hypotension
