Issues: Vol 09 Iss 01 – APR 2024

POCUS Journal Volume 09, Issue 01, released April 2024

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 of POCUS for AC when performed and billed by credentialed emergency physicians (EPs), the accuracy rate of RI when performed after POCUS, and the time added when RI is requested after POCUS demonstrates AC.

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; Meghan Kelly Herbst, MD FACEP; James N. Kirkpatrick, MD FASE FACC; Abhilash Koratala, MD FASN; Michael J. Lanspa, MD; Viveta Lobo, MD FACEP; Jason T Nomura, MD FACEP FAAEM FACP FAHA; Aliaksei Pustavoitau, MD MHS FCCM; Mourad H. Senussi, MD MS; Vincent L. Sorrell, MD FACP (honorary) FACC FASE FSCCT FSCMR; Frances Mae West, MD MS FACP; Aarti Sarwal, MD FNCS FAAN FCCM FASN RPNI – Despite the growing use of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in contemporary medical practice and the existence of clinical guidelines addressing its specific applications, there remains a lack of standardization and agreement on optimal practices for several areas of POCUS use. The Society of Point of Care Ultrasound (SPOCUS) formed a working group in 2022 to establish a set of recommended best practices for POCUS, applicable to clinicians regardless of their training, specialty, resource setting, or scope of practice.

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 imaging via a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). This is a resource-intensive procedure that is less accessible in remote communities. However, point of care ultrasound (POCUS), a portable ultrasound administered at the bedside, has potential to aid in the diagnostic process of PH.

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 size correlates with central venous pressure. This targeted literature review aimed to examine the existing literature assessing the use of POCUS in diagnosis and management of HF patients utilizing POCUS-based IVC measurement either alone or in combination with secondary methods.