A Point-of-care Ultrasound Exam to Refine Referral for Outpatient Echocardiography

Background: Few data exist on the potential utility of a cardiac point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) exam in the outpatient setting to assist diagnosis of significant cardiac disease.Objective: Using a retrospective sequential cohort design, we sought to derive and then validate a POCUS exam for cardiac application and model its potential use for prognostication and cost-effective echo referral.Methods: For POCUS exam derivation, we reviewed 233 consecutive outpatient echo studies for 4 specific POCUS “signs” contained therein representing left ventricular systolic dysfunction, left atrial enlargement, inferior vena cava plethora, and lung apical B-lines.

Source: The American Journal of Medicine - October 25, 2018 Category: General Medicine Authors: Paul J. Han, Ben T. Tsai, Martin, William D. Keen, Jill Waalen, Bruce J. Kimura Source Type: research