The POCUS Consult: How Point of Care Ultrasound Helps Guide Medical Decision Making

Jake A. Rice, Jonathan Brewer, Tyler Speaks, Christopher Choi, Peiman Lahsaei, Bryan T. Romito

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)9789-9806
Number of pages18
JournalInternational Journal of General Medicine
Volume14
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Keywords

  • Hemodynamics
  • Hypotension
  • Respiratory failure
  • Trauma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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