Ultrasound guidance has become a common technique for many practitioners outside the radiology department, thanks to technological advancements in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). In the last ten years, ultrasound machines have been introduced in smaller, more portable variations with improved image quality. This has allowed them to make their way into other departments outside radiology.

What exactly is POCUS?

Point-of-care ultrasound is a very useful imaging technique, notably for medical staff working in emergency medicine. Vastly used in Europe, it is now part of emergency medicine training in the US and Canada. The practitioner performs all acquisition and interpretation of images at the point of care and uses this information immediately to address specific issues to guide therapy in progress. Note that bedside ultrasound is like a subset point of care ultrasound (POCUS). POCUS is a broad term to designate the many scenarios (ER, ambulance, helicopter, at the bedside, etc.) in which portable ultrasound can be used.

In what ways can POCUS benefit quality of care?

POCUS can benefit a lot of different specialties, but it shines best when used in the diagnostic process of critically ill patients in emergency medicine. Combined with a physical assessment, many clinicians agree that POC ultrasound works well to efficiently reach a reliable diagnosis. This is undoubtedly helpful in determining the next steps in the patient’s treatment.

In the emergency department, life of patients can also depend on the time necessary to formulate a diagnosis. A study published in 2017 demonstrated that while POCUS did not help achieve a different diagnosis, the average time needed to formulate it was significantly lower in diagnosing dyspnea. All these benefits lead to an improved patient safety, demonstrating how POCUS can be valuable in an emergency setting.