Expansion of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an ultrasound examination performed and interpreted by the clinician at the bedside to obtain specific clinical information. POCUS exam had been designed to address a specific clinical inquiry with a focused, goal-directed evaluation. Its objective is to either “rule in” or “rule out” specific conditions or answer a “yes or no” question. By contrast, a comprehensive ultrasound performed by radiologists or cardiologists thoroughly evaluates the entire anatomical region. POCUS examinations provide clinical information in real-time within minutes. Recent studies have shown that POCUS can increase diagnostic accuracy and significantly reduce physicians’ diagnostic uncertainty. Most patients admitted to an emergency department who agreed to undergo POCUS of the heart, lungs, and deep veins reported “very low” discomfort. Clinicians have also released statements advocating for POCUS. Additionally, undergraduate medical students who have encountered POCUS examinations earlier in their medical education have gained a better understanding of the clinical applications of POCUS. POCUS has become increasingly popular in emergency medicine, and so has POCUS education in residency programs. With the increased use of ultrasound in emergency and critical care settings, countries with emergency rooms and intensive care units (ICU) equipped with an ultrasound system have recently implemented health insurance coverage for POCUS in emergency and critical care areas. Although POCUS has been a rapidly growing technology in emergency, trauma, and critical care medicine, some concerns have been raised regarding its patient safety, which include overuse, inaccurate diagnoses, inappropriate usage, and excessive dependence on POCUS. To improve patient care and prevent unnecessary cuts in healthcare budgets, proper prescription, application of POCUS, as well as documentation of its findings, are required. This paper aims to comprehensively review the differe