Accuracy of PoCUS in Diagnosing Acute Dyspnea in ED

Abstract

Introduction: Acute dyspnea is a common symptom in the emergency department (ED). Diagnosis and management of patients presenting with acute dyspnea is one of the major challenges for physicians in the ED. A correct diagnosis is frequently delayed and difficult to ascertain, and clinical uncertainty is common, explaining the need for rapid diagnosis and a management plan. The standard approach to dyspnea often relies on radiologic and laboratory results, causing an excessive delay before adequate therapy is started. The use of an integrated point-of-care ultrasonography (PoCUS) approach can shorten the time needed to formulate a diagnosis, while maintaining an acceptable safety profile. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study on 88 patients aged above 18 years who came with a complaint of acute dyspnea to emergency room of a tertiary care center in Mangalore, Karnataka, over a period of 1 year from September 2017 to September 2018. Results: The accuracy of PoCUS in diagnosing acute dyspneic patients was found to be 93.8% in our study. Conclusion: PoCUS is a great tool in all emergency settings to deliver a better care.