Current Issue

Inside the April 2024 Issue

Benjamin T. Galen, MD - We are thrilled to bring you the first issue of the ninth volume of POCUS Journal. Published since 2016, POCUS Journal is the only multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed, POCUS-focused journal that is free for authors and readers alike. We are grateful for the vision of our founder Dr. Amer Johri and for [...]


Pediatric Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Fellowship Programs

Sigmund Kharasch, MD; Matthew Moake, MD PhD; Antonio Riera, MD - Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has undergone important growth in the field of Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) in the last 14 years and is recognized as a critical diagnostic tool in the care of ill and injured children. The first PEM POCUS fellowship was [...]


Vaginal Bleeding in a Peri-Menopausal Woman

Ambika Shivarajpur, DO; Brian Kohen, MD - Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is a useful modality to initially identify a molar pregnancy. In this case, we describe a 51-year-old perimenopausal woman who presented to the emergency department (ED) with vaginal bleeding. A transvaginal POCUS was performed, revealing findings concerning for a molar pregnancy. These findings [...]


Point of Care Ultrasound Identification and Aspiration of a Neck Lymph Node

Andrew Moore, DO; Ali Mrad, MD; Leonard Riley, MD; Sonia M. Castillo MD - The tissue diagnosis and staging of all types of lung cancer is foundational for prognosis and establishing the optimal treatment plan. In order to appropriately stage lung cancer, the highest stage should be established using the 8th edition TNM criteria, where [...]


Hematometra: A Rare Case of Pelvic Pain in Females Identified with Point of Care Ultrasound 

Andrew R. Helber, MD; Margaret Provencher, MD; Christy Moore, BS; Nova Panebianco, MD  - The differential diagnosis for abdominal or pelvic pain in women of child-bearing age that present to the emergency department is broad. A rare cause of abdominal and pelvic pain is hematometra, or a collection of blood products within the uterus. While [...]


VExUS to Guide Ultrafiltration in Hemodialysis: Exploring a Novel Dimension of Point of Care Ultrasound 

Abhilash Koratala, MD; Mohamed Ibrahim, MD; Sirisha Gudlawar, MD  - Venous Excess Ultrasound (VExUS) is a valuable bedside tool for nephrologists within a multi-organ point of care ultrasound (POCUS) framework. VExUS can address limitations of conventional physical examination in identifying hemodynamic congestion and monitoring treatment efficacy. A 53-year-old man with heart failure and end-stage kidney [...]


Point of Care Ultrasound Diagnosis of Maxillary Artery Pseudoaneurysm in the Emergency Department

Marwa L. Ali, MD; Sean Beckman, DO; Stephen Alerhand, MD  - A pseudoaneurysm results from a tear in a vessel wall. This leads to extravasation of blood into adjacent tissue and eventual formation of a fibrous sac that maintains continuity with the lumen. These vascular injuries very rarely occur in deeper vessels of the face [...]


Hemodialysis Catheter-Associated Right Atrial Thrombus Diagnosed via Point of Care Transesophageal Echocardiogram

Heather Andrade, MD; Julie Carroll, MD; Evan Tomkiewicz, MD; Edwin Jackson, DO MBA RDCS - Catheter-associated right atrial thrombus (CRAT) is a potential complication of central venous catheter placement and is associated with an increase in morbidity and mortality. The precise incidence of CRAT is unknown, and there is a lack of clear screening and [...]


Point of Care Ultrasound Used to Diagnose Nontyphoidal Endocarditis 

Zahraa Y. Alqallaf, Ossama S. Maadarani, FRCP; Mohamed E. Elhabibi, MD; Mohamad Abdelfatah, MD; Zouheir I. Bitar, FRCP EDIC EDEC - Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) can make an expedited diagnosis, which might lead to early correct management. POCUS should be used in a systemic and integrated approach to evaluate multiple organs in patients with [...]


Diagnosis of Cutaneous Larva Migrans using Point of Care Ultrasound 

Daniella Lamour, DO; Robert A. Farrow, DO; Jean Pierre; Daniel Puebla, MD; Paul Khalil, MD - Larva migrans is a cutaneous parasitic infection that occurs when an immature hookworm larva inadvertently penetrates the dermis of a human, typically on the extremities. Traditionally, a clinical diagnosis is made when a tortuous/serpiginous eruption is seen superficially in [...]


Terson Syndrome Diagnosed by Ocular Point of Care Ultrasound on the Medical Floor 

Mark Johnson, MRCP MBBCh BSc - In acute care environments, accurately assessing complications of intracranial pathology can be challenging. Ocular complications in acute intracranial disease are not consistently evaluated despite their high morbidity. We report on a case of monocular diplopia in a 63-year-old man with subacute traumatic brain injury with localized subarachnoid hemorrhage.


Gas Forming Pyogenic Liver Abscess Diagnosed by Point of Care Ultrasound 

Wei Ven Chin, MD MRCP; Mae Jane Khaw, MD MRCP - Gas-forming pyogenic liver abscess (GFLPA) carries a high mortality rate. Early identification of the source of infection in sepsis results in better survival. Bedside point of care ultrasound (POCUS) can be used to help localize a source of infection. A 59-year-old man presented with [...]


Resolution of Sonographic Appendicitis in Pediatrics: a Point of Care Ultrasound Case-Series 

Eric Scheier, MD; Benjamin Taragin, MD - Studies of pediatric appendicitis treated conservatively show a considerable rate of recurrence. Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) imaging at our facility is routinely performed for abdominal pain and may be more likely than radiology-performed ultrasound to encounter cases that then self-resolve. We present a case series collected from [...]


Return of the Living Dead Gut – A Case Report of Ischemic Colitis Identified on Point of Care Ultrasound 

Kandria Ledesma, MD; Joseph Kim, MD; Allison Cohen, MD; Nicholas Bielawa, PA-C; Mathew Nelson, DO - Ischemic colitis is the most common form of gastrointestinal ischemia [1]. The diagnosis of ischemic colitis is made by clinical data and computed tomography (CT) imaging of the abdomen and pelvis [1]. While colonoscopy is considered the gold standard [...]


Testicular Torsion with Intact Blood Flow: A Point of Care Ultrasound Case-Series 

Eric Scheier, MD - Studies have demonstrated the high sensitivity and specificity of pediatric emergency department (PED) point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in the evaluation of testicular torsion. Rarely, testicular torsion may present with intact blood flow. Here, we present a case series of four children with testicular torsion confirmed intraoperatively, who had intact blood [...]


Point of Care Ultrasound as a Key Tool in the Evaluation of a Woman with Syncope 

Jenniffer Katherine Guío Rodríguez, MD; Jenny del Pilar Rico Mendoza, MD; Elkin René Barrios Peralta, MD - Using point of care ultrasound (POCUS) to evaluate patients with syncope in the emergency department facilitates the timely diagnosis of life-threatening pathologies. Case: A 56-year-old woman presented to the emergency department of a hospital in Bogotá, Colombia, for [...]


Diagnostic Accuracy of Abdominal Point of Care Ultrasound in Primary Care: Study Design and Protocol 

Antonio Calvo Cebrián, MD; Rafael Alonso Roca, MD; Ignacio Manuel Sánchez Barrancos, MD - The aim of this study is to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of abdominal point of care ultrasound (POCUS) performed by family physicians (FPs) in primary care (PC), in comparison with the findings in the medical record (MR) at 12 months of [...]


Effectiveness of a Brief Point of Care Ultrasound Course at a National Nephrology Conference 

Abhilash Koratala, MD; Nilam J. Soni, MD MS; Rupal Mehta, MD; Nathaniel Reisinger, MD - The rising demand for point of care ultrasound (POCUS) instruction during nephrology fellowship has been limited due to a shortage of trained faculty and courses designed specifically for nephrologists. A hands-on POCUS pre-course was organized during the April 2023 National [...]


Emergency Physician Performed Ultrasound-Guided Abdominal Paracentesis: A Retrospective Analysis 

Brandon M. Wubben, MD; Jad Dandashi, MD; Omar Rizvi, MD; Srikar Adhikari, MD - Emergency physicians commonly perform ultrasound-assisted abdominal paracentesis, using point of care ultrasound (POCUS) to identify ascites and select a site for needle insertion. However, ultrasound-guided paracentesis has the benefit of real-time needle visualization during the entire procedure. Our objective was to [...]


Trends in Point of Care Ultrasound Familiarity Among Undergraduate Medical Clerkship Educators 

Nilan Schnure, MD; Mahmoud Mohamed Elfadil, MD; Wilma Chan, MD MSCE; Cameron Baston, MD MSCE; Frances Shofer, PhD; Nova Panebianco, MD MPH - Despite growing use of point of care ultrasound (POCUS), there remains a paucity of data about familiarity with POCUS among educators who dictate curricular content in undergraduate medical education. This paper aims [...]


Radiology Imaging Adds Time and Diagnostic Uncertainty when Point of Care Ultrasound Demonstrates Cholecystitis 

David Cannata, BS; Callista Love, BS; Pascale Carrel, BA; Trent She, MD; Seth Lotterman, MD; Felix Pacheco, MD; Meghan Kelly Herbst, MD - Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is specific for acute cholecystitis (AC), but surgeons request radiology imaging (RI) prior to admitting patients with POCUS-diagnosed AC. Objectives: We sought to determine the test characteristics [...]


Best Practices for Point of Care Ultrasound: An Interdisciplinary Expert Consensus 

Brandon Oto, PA-C FCCM; Robert Baeten, PA-C FCCP; Leon Chen, DNP AGACNP-BC FCCP FAANP FCCM; Puja Dalal, MD FAAFP; Ria Dancel, MD FACP SFHM FAAP; Steven Fox, MD; Carl William Lange IV, MSBS EM-CAQ PA-C; Cameron Baston, MD MSCE FACP; Paul Bornemann, MD RMSK RPVI; Siddharth Dugar, MD FCCM FASE FCCP; Andrew Goldsmith, MD MBA; [...]


The Application of Point of Care Ultrasound to Screen for Pulmonary Hypertension: A Narrative Review 

Danny Yu Jia Ke, BSc; Melissa Tso, MB BCh BAO FRCPC; Amer M. Johri, MD MSc FRCPC FASE - Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is a condition with several cardiopulmonary etiologies that has the potential of progressing to right heart failure without proper intervention. After a history, physical exam, and investigations, cases of suspected PH typically undergo [...]


Point of Care Ultrasound for Diagnosis and Management in Heart Failure: A Targeted Literature Review 

Sabina Yampolsky, BSE; Alan Kwan, MD; Susan Cheng, MD; Ilan Kedan, MD MPH - Cardiac point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has shown increasing utility as a tool for diagnosing and managing heart failure (HF). Within cardiology, intravascular volume assessment leveraging visualization of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is a central aspect of care, as IVC [...]