Appropriate Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasonography in Patients with Acute Dyspnea in the Emergency Department or Hospital

Background

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is rapidly becoming a bedside diagnostic device, but its effectiveness in patients who present with unexplained dyspnea still is unknown. ACP researchers reviewed 49 studies (with considerable heterogeneity) in which POCUS was used as a diagnostic tool in patients with acute dyspnea in the emergency department or hospital; only five studies involved handheld devices.

Key Points

• Use of POCUS in addition to a standard approach (i.e., history, physical exam, lab tests, and imaging) versus a standard approach alone led to 32% more patients with acute dyspnea receiving correct diagnoses.

• The main benefit of POCUS came from improved sensitivities …