Mahmud Saqib, MD; Gregory Capelli, DO; Abhilash Koratala, MD – Point of care ultrasonography can be a valuable adjunct to conventional physical examination in patients with hyponatremia that aids in clinical decision making. It can address the shortcomings of traditional volume status assessment such as the inherent low sensitivity of ‘classic’ signs such as lower extremity edema.
Abhilash Koratala, MD – In patients with heart failure and cardiorenal syndrome, lingering congestion is associated with worse outcomes. As such, titrating diuretic or ultrafiltration therapy based on objective assessment of volume status plays a crucial role in the management of these patients. Conventional physical examination findings and parameters such as daily weight measurement are not always reliable in this setting. Recently, point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) has emerged as an attractive enhancement to bedside clinical examination in assessing fluid volume status.