Comparison of quality and cost-effectiveness in the evaluation of symptomatic cholelithiasis with different approaches to ultrasound availability in the ED

[Clinical Ultrasound (ClinUS) - Concepts and Controversies]

Clinical ultrasound (ClinUS) is the integration of ultrasound diagnostics into the clinical examination. By comparing clinical ultrasound with other models of ultrasound diagnostics, this overview presents a concept that integrates point-of-care ultrasound, comprehensive specialty-specific ultrasound examinations and specialized multiparametric ultrasound. The applications, advantages and challenges of clinical ultrasound and its special features in comparison to other cross-sectional imaging modalities are discussed using the example of gastroenterology and general medicine in particular.

Point-of-care ultrasound to diagnose acute cholecystitis in the emergency department: A scoping review

Introduction/Purpose

Ultrasound is the first-line imaging modality for suspected acute cholecystitis. This can be radiology-performed ultrasound or point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). POCUS can potentially streamline patient assessment in the emergency department (ED). The primary objective was to evaluate the literature for the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS performed for acute cholecystitis in the ED. Secondary objectives were to assess the effect of POCUS operator training on diagnostic accuracy for acute cholecystitis, utility of POCUS measurement of the common bile duct and POCUS impact on resource utilisation.

Methods

A systematic scoping review of articles was conducted using Medline, Embase, CENTRAL and CINAHL. Original studies of adults with POCUS performed for the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis in the ED were included. The study was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist (PRISMA-ScR).

Results

A total of 1090 publications were identified. Forty-six met the eligibility criteria. Studies were thematically grouped into categories according to specified objectives. Point-of-care ultrasound was of acceptable but variable accuracy, contributed to by the absence of a consistent reference standard and uniform training requirements. It may positively impact ED resource utilisation through reduced ED length of stay and radiology-performed imaging, whilst improving patient experience.

Conclusion

This review highlights the heterogeneity of existing research, emphasising the need for standardisation of training and reference standards in order to precisely define the utility of POCUS for acute cholecystitis in the ED and its benefits on ED resource utilisation.

Role of point-of-care ultrasound in critical care and emergency medicine: update and future perspective

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a rapidly developing technology that has the potential to revolutionize emergency and critical care medicine. The use of POCUS can improve patient care by providing real-time clinical information. However, appropriate usage and proper training are crucial to ensure patient safety and reliability. This article discusses the various applications of POCUS in emergency and critical care medicine, the importance of training and education, and the future of POCUS in medicine.

Accuracy and clinical use of biliary point-of-care ultrasound: A retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To assess the utilisation and diagnostic accuracy of biliary point-of-care ultrasounds (POCUS) performed and archived in a single New Zealand ED.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of clinically indicated biliary POCUS, archived from 1 October 2019 to 20 May 2020. POCUS interpretation was compared to expert review and radiology imaging when available. The clinician interpretations, diagnostic imaging results and surgical referrals were extracted from electronic medical records. Archived POCUS images were retrospectively reviewed by an expert to determine diagnostic quality, sonographic findings and imaging errors.

RESULTS

A total of 133 ultrasounds were included; 118 (90%) archived images were of diagnostic quality. The presence or absence of gallstones was documented in 124 (93%), and other sonographic findings were less consistently documented. There was almost perfect agreement with expert review for gallstones (κ = 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.72-0.93) and substantial agreement for wall thickening (κ = 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.42-0.83). For patients discharged following negative POCUS without radiology imaging or surgical review no patients returned and received a diagnosis of cholecystitis over 6 months of follow-up. Imaging errors included failure to visualise the gallbladder neck, misinterpretation of artefacts and technical errors in measurement of the gallbladder wall.

CONCLUSION

Biliary POCUS was primarily utilised for and was accurate for the detection of gallstones. Further quality assurance and training could be directed at earlier credentialing to address technical errors and improved documentation of POCUS findings.

A systematic review of the cost-effectiveness of ultrasound in emergency care settings

BACKGROUND

The use of ultrasound (US) in emergency departments (ED) has become widespread. This includes both traditional US scans performed by radiology departments as well as point-of-care US (POCUS) performed by bedside clinicians. There has been significant interest in better understanding the appropriate use of imaging and where opportunities to enhance cost-effectiveness may exist. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify published evidence surrounding the cost-effectiveness of US in the ED and to grade the quality of that evidence.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of the literature following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were considered for inclusion if they were: (1) economic evaluations, (2) studied the clinical use of ultrasound, and (3) took place in an emergency care setting. Included studies were critically appraised using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards checklist.

RESULTS

We identified 631 potentially relevant articles. Of these, 35 studies met all inclusion criteria and were eligible for data abstraction. In general, studies were supportive of the use of US. In particular, 11 studies formed a strong consensus that US enhanced cost-effectiveness in the investigation of pediatric appendicitis and 6 studies supported enhancements in the evaluation of abdominal trauma. Across the studies, weaknesses in methodology and reporting were common, such as lack of sensitivity analyses and inconsistent reporting of incremental cost-effectiveness ratios.

CONCLUSIONS

The body of existing evidence, though limited, generally demonstrates that the inclusion of US in emergency care settings allows for more cost-effective care. The most definitive evidence for improvements in cost-effectiveness surround the evaluation of pediatric appendicitis, followed by the evaluation of abdominal trauma. POCUS outside of trauma has had mixed results.

Use of point-of-care ultrasound to diagnose an alternate cause of flank pain in a patient with presumed renal colic

This is a case of a 34-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency department (ED) with severe left flank pain. Due to the patient's cardiac history, elevated troponin, lactic acidosis, and lack of renal calculi on a noncontrast CT, focused cardiac ultrasound was performed, which showed left ventricle thrombus. The patient was later found to have bi-interventricular thrombi causing both pulmonary embolism and renal infarction. This is an uncommon diagnosis in the ED, where point-of-care ultrasound helped in diagnosing and guiding the management and disposition of this case.

Point-of-care Ultrasound to Evaluate Breast Pathology in the Emergency Department

Introduction

As physician-performed point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) becomes more prevalent in the evaluation of patients presenting with various complaints in the emergency department (ED), one application that is significantly less used is breast ultrasound. This study evaluates the utility of POCUS for the assessment of patients with breast complaints who present to the ED and the impact of POCUS on medical decision-making and patient management in the ED.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of ED patients presenting with breast symptoms who received a POCUS examination. An ED POCUS database was reviewed for breast POCUS examinations. We then reviewed electronic health records for demographic characteristics, history, physical examination findings, ED course, additional imaging studies, and impact of the POCUS study on patient care and disposition.

Results

We included a total of 40 subjects (36 females, 4 males) in the final analysis. Most common presenting symptoms were breast pain (57.5%) and a palpable mass (37.5%). “Cobblestoning,” ie, dense bumpy appearance, was the most common finding on breast POCUS, seen in 50% of the patients. Simple fluid collections were found in 37.5% of patients.

Conclusion

Our study findings illustrate the utility of POCUS in the evaluation of a variety of breast complaints in the ED.

Utilidad y fiabilidad de la ecografía clínica abdominal en medicina familiar (1): hígado, vías biliares y páncreas

La ecografía es una técnica segura y fiable que aumenta la capacidad diagnóstica, agiliza y mejora la toma de decisiones de los profesionales de la medicina en cualquier ámbito de ejercicio. El médico de familia (MF), que debe ser competente para abordar la práctica totalidad de los problemas de salud de las personas, es un especialista idóneo para incorporar esta herramienta a su actividad, dotándose con ella de una capacidad de manejo hasta ahora desconocida, al ser muy numerosas las situaciones clínicas de la práctica habitual en las cuales se puede beneficiar de ella de modo fiable, eficiente y eficaz. Al tratarse de una tecnología muy dependiente del explorador, se hace necesario asegurar la competencia de quienes la practican, definir los beneficios y los potenciales riesgos que su uso puede generar, así como sus escenarios de aplicación, en aras de evitar exploraciones innecesarias y minimizar el coste oportunidad que puede suponer incorporar esta actividad a una agenda de por sí desbordada. Este trabajo pretende resumir el estado actual de la ecografía clínica abdominal y su utilidad para el MF en aquellos escenarios en los que resulta fiable y eficaz.

Critical care ultrasound: A national survey across specialties

PURPOSE

Management of the critically ill patient requires rapid assessment and differentiation. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) improves diagnostic accuracy and guides resuscitation. This study sought to describe the use of critical care related POCUS amongst different specialties.

METHODS

This study was conducted as an online 18-question survey. Survey questions queried respondent demographics, preferences for POCUS use, and barriers to implementation.

RESULTS

2735 recipients received and viewed the survey with 416 (15.2%) responses. The majority of respondents were pulmonary and critical care medicine (62.5%) and emergency medicine (19.9%) providers. Respondents obtained training through educational courses (26.5%), fellowship (23.9%), residency (21.6%), or self-guided learning (17.2%). POCUS use was common for diagnostic and procedural guidance. Emergency medicine providers were more likely to utilize POCUS to evaluate undifferentiated hypotension (98.5%, P < .001), volume status and fluid responsiveness (88.2%, P = .005), and cardiopulmonary arrest (94.1%, P < .001) compared to other specialties. Limited training, competency, or credentialing were the most common barriers, in up to 39.4% of respondents.

CONCLUSION

Study respondents utilize POCUS in a variety of clinical applications. However, a disparity in utilization still exists among clinicians who care for critically ill patients. Overcoming barriers, such as a lack of formalized training, competency, or credentialing, may lead to increased utilization.

Utility of point-of-care musculoskeletal ultrasound in the evaluation of emergency department musculoskeletal pathology

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the utilization of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for the assessment of emergency department (ED) patients with musculoskeletal symptoms and the impact of musculoskeletal POCUS on medical decision-making and patient management in the ED.

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of ED patients presenting with musculoskeletal symptoms who received a POCUS over a 3.5-year period. An ED POCUS database was reviewed for musculoskeletal POCUS examinations used for medical decision-making. Electronic medical records were then reviewed for demographic characteristics, history, physical examination findings, ED course, additional imaging studies, and impact of musculoskeletal POCUS on patient management in ED.

RESULTS

A total of 264 subjects (92 females, 172 males) and 292 musculoskeletal POCUS examinations were included in the final analysis. Most common symptomatic sites were knee (31.8%) and ankle (16.3%). Joint effusion was the most common finding on musculoskeletal POCUS, noted in 33.7% of the patients, and subcutaneous edema/cobblestoning was found in 10.2% of the patients. Muscle or tendon rupture was found in 2.3% of the patients, and 1.9% of the patients had joint dislocation. Bursitis or bursa fluid was found in 3.4% of patients, and tendonitis/tendinopathy was found in 2.3%. Twenty percent of them were ultrasound-guided musculoskeletal procedures, and most of them (73.3%) were arthrocentesis. Of the included studies, all except three either changed or helped guide patient management as documented in the patients' medical records.

CONCLUSION

Our study findings illustrate the utility of POCUS in the evaluation of a variety of musculoskeletal pathologies in the ED.

Perception of point-of-care ultrasound performed by emergency medicine physicians

PURPOSE

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is integral to the practice of emergency medicine (EM). Furthermore, EM-performed POCUS (EM-POCUS) offers consultants the opportunity to avoid delays in care due to wait times for confirmatory imaging studies. This study is the first to describe the perception of POCUS to consulting services at a single institution where EM-POCUS is routinely performed.

METHODS

This study was conducted as a survey distributed to residents from consultant specialties (internal medicine [IM], general surgery [GS], and obstetrics and gynecology [OB-GYN]). Survey questions aimed to describe consultant's confidence and utilization of EM-POCUS. Responses were evaluated using descriptive and comparative analysis.

RESULTS

Survey responses were obtained from 27 IM (87.1%), 13 GS (100%), and 21 OB-GYN (100%) respondents. Among consultant specialties, 47.5% of respondents reported comfort with EM-POCUS. IM (81.5%) providers were significantly more likely to trust EM-POCUS as compared with OB-GYN (28.6%) and GS (7.7%) providers (p < 0.001). Confidence was further limited when consultants were unable to view POCUS images (23.8% for OB-GYN, 15.4% for GS, 55.6% for IM), but improved with EM provider level of POCUS experience and training (81% for OB-GYN, 76.9% for GS, 77.8% for IM). Overall, consultant utilization of EM-POCUS was 68.9%.

CONCLUSIONS

Study respondents demonstrated limited confidence and utilization of EM-POCUS in this institution. Increased understanding of EM-POCUS training and expanded image availability may improve consultant utilization. Future studies, performed nationally, should further describe the value of EM-POCUS to consultant services. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:408-415, 2017.

Neonatal Gallstones Serendipitously Discovered by Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Cholelithiasis in children was once thought to be uncommon, but the prevalence has increased in recent years. We present a case of a 3-month-old infant brought to the pediatric emergency department for vomiting and increased fussiness. A point-of-care ultrasound was performed to rule out pyloric stenosis but revealed multiple stones within the gallbladder. Ultrasound findings and a review of technique for ultrasound of the gallbladder are presented.

My patient has got abdominal pain: identifying biliary problems

Right upper quadrant and epigastric abdominal pain are common presenting complaints in the emergency department. With increasing access to point-of-care ultrasound, emergency physicians now have an added tool to help identify biliary problems as a cause of a patient's right upper quadrant pain. Point-of-care ultrasound has a sensitivity of 89.8% (95% CI 86.4-92.5%) and specificity of 88.0% (83.7-91.4%) for cholelithiasis, very similar to radiology-performed ultrasonography. In addition to assessment for cholelithiasis and cholecystitis, point-of-care ultrasound can help emergency physicians to determine whether the biliary system is the source of infection in patients with suspected sepsis. Use of point-of-care ultrasound for the assessment of the biliary system has resulted in more rapid diagnosis, decreasing costs, and shorter emergency department length of stay.

Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma and Abdominal Computed Tomography Utilization in Adult Trauma Patients: Trends over the Last Decade

Objective. We sought to describe the trend in abdominal CT use in adult trauma patients after a point-of-care emergency ultrasound program was introduced. We hypothesized that abdominal CT use would decrease as FAST use increased. Methods. We performed a retrospective study of 19940 consecutive trauma patients over the age of 18 admitted to our level one trauma center from 2002 through 2011. Data was collected retrospectively and recorded in a trauma registry. We plotted the rate of FAST and abdominal CT utilization over time. Head CT was used as a surrogate for overall CT utilization rates during the study period. Results. Use of FAST increased by an average of 2.3% (95% CI 2.1 to 2.5, P < 0.01) while abdominal CT use decreased by the same rate annually. The percentage of patients who received FAST as the sole imaging modality for the abdomen rose from 2.0% to 21.9% while those who only received an abdominal CT dropped from 21.7% to 2.3%. Conclusions. Abdominal CT use in our cohort declined while FAST utilization grew in the last decade. The rising use of FAST may have played a role in the reduction of abdominal CT performed as decline in CT utilization appears contrary to overall trends.

Clinical applications of bedside ultrasonography in internal and emergency medicine

Ultrasonography (US) is an invaluable tool in the management of many types of patients in Internal Medicine and Emergency Departments, as it provides rapid, detailed information regarding abdominal organs and the cardiovascular system, and facilitates the assessment and safe drainage of pleural or intra-abdominal fluid and placement of central venous catheters. Bedside US is a common practice in Emergency Departments, Internal Medicine Departments and Intensive Care Units. US performed by clinicians is an excellent risk reducing tool, shortening the time to definitive therapy, and decreasing the rate of complications from blind invasive procedures. US can be performed at different levels of practice in Internal Medicine, according to the experience of ultrasound practitioners and equipment availability. In this review, the indications for bedside US that can be performed with basic or intermediate US training will be highlighted.

Emergency physician-performed ultrasound to diagnose cholelithiasis: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

The authors sought to determine the diagnostic test characteristics of bedside emergency physician (EP)-performed ultrasound (US) for cholelithiasis in symptomatic emergency department (ED) patients.

METHODS

A search was conducted of MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, bibliographies of previous systematic reviews, and abstracts from major emergency medicine conference proceedings. We included studies that prospectively assessed the diagnostic accuracy of emergency US (EUS) for cholelithiasis, compared to a criterion reference standard of radiology-performed ultrasound (RADUS), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or surgical findings. Two authors independently performed relevance screening of titles and abstracts, extracted data, and performed the quality analysis. Disagreements were resolved by conference between the two reviewers. EUS performance was assessed with summary receiver operator characteristics curve (SROC) analysis, with independently pooled sensitivity and specificity values across included studies.

RESULTS

The electronic search yielded 917 titles; eight studies met the inclusion criteria, yielding a sample of 710 subjects. All included studies used appropriate selection criteria and reference standards, but only one study reported uninterpretable or indeterminate results. The pooled estimates for sensitivity and specificity were 89.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 86.4% to 92.5%) and 88.0% (95% CI = 83.7% to 91.4%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that in patients presenting to the ED with pain consistent with biliary colic, a positive EUS scan may be used to arrange for appropriate outpatient follow-up if symptoms have resolved. In patients with a low pretest probability, a negative EUS scan should prompt the clinician to consider an alternative diagnosis.

History of emergency and critical care ultrasound: The evolution of a new imaging paradigm

The tradition of clinical ultrasound in the hands of physicians who provide critical care to the most acutely ill patients stretches back into the 1980s and is rich with experiences from surgical, emergency medicine, and other practices. Now, as critical care ultrasound explodes around the world, it is important to realize the path its development has taken and learn from trials and tribulations of early practitioners in the field. The development and battles for the right to use ultrasound at the patient's bedside for >20 yrs is described in relation to its emergency medicine and surgical origins. Approaches to education, scanning, documentation, and organization at the national and regional levels are described.

Impact of bedside right upper quadrant ultrasonography on radiology imaging

Many Emergency Departments (ED) use emergency ultrasonography of the right upper quadrant (RUQ) to capture images of the gallbladder in patients with suspected gallstones. It is unclear what impact this practice has on additional imaging performed by radiology. Patients were enrolled 24 h a day by ED residents and attending physicians who have completed an educational program in limited RUQ ultrasound. All ultrasounds were videotaped and later reviewed. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians' credentialing standards, 25 ultrasounds were required before using the results clinically. A total of 352 patients were enrolled by 42 physicians over a 1-year period. Two hundred twelve (60.2%) of the ultrasounds were performed clinically, with the rest performed for teaching purposes. One hundred seventy-nine (50.9%) of the ultrasounds were performed by credentialed physicians. One hundred forty-nine (70%) clinical and 29 (20.7%) teaching ultrasounds had additional imaging. The average time to follow up imaging after discharge from the ED was 8.51 days. Most patients receiving emergency ultrasound of their RUQ had follow-up imaging by radiology.

Short- and long-term effects of emergency medicine sonography on formal sonography use: a decade of experience

OBJECTIVES

It has been reported that use of formal sonographic studies by departments of radiology initially increases after inception of an emergency medicine (EM) sonography training program, but there are no data on whether this trend continues as the training program matures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an ongoing EM sonography program on formal sonography use after more than a decade of experience.

METHODS

This retrospective, computer-assisted review compared emergency department (ED) abdominal sonographic studies ordered in the 3 years before inception of an EM sonography program (1992-1994) with those ordered in the 8 years after its inception (1995-2002). To determine the relative change, all abdominal sonograms ordered by ED physicians were compared with equivalent outpatient formal sonograms by all other physicians in the hospital. The study site is a community teaching hospital with a current ED census of 50,000.

RESULTS

In the initial 4 years (1995-1998), the number of formal studies increased significantly in both absolute numbers (annual mean, 95 versus 162; P < .002) and as a percentage of all outpatient sonograms ordered at the institution (5.1% versus 8.5%; P < .0001). However, in the following 4 years (1999-2002), the absolute number of formal studies remained constant but decreased when adjusted for an increased ED census. Emergency department-ordered formal studies also decreased as a percentage of all sonograms ordered (5.1% versus 4.1%; P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

Emergency department use of formal sonography services increases with the introduction of ED sonography but decreases markedly as the program matures.

Epigastraglia with tarry stools in a middle-aged female caused by jejunal intussusception due to a hamartoma

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage is a common presentation to an emergency department. Often, the diagnosis is peptic ulcer disease in which vague or sharp abdominal pain is associated with bleeding. In contrast, intussusception is a rare cause of abdominal pain and coincident GI bleeding. In this case, we report a 41-year-old woman who had an intussuscepting jejunal obstruction due to a hamartoma of the small bowel. The diagnosis was established by ultrasonography. In review of the literature, abdominal pain and bleeding are two common manifestations of intussusception when the lesion originates in the small bowel. Intussusception is frequently included in the differential diagnosis of pediatric patients with coincident abdominal pain and bleeding. However, it is rarely mentioned as an adult cause of these two findings. Because of the delayed and nonspecific presentations of abdominal discomfort in adult patients with intussusception, the diagnosis is often delayed. This case points out the need for considering intussusception even in middle-aged patients whose initial presentation is concomitant bleeding and pain.

Decreasing clinically significant adverse events using feedback to emergency physicians of telephone follow-up outcomes

STUDY OBJECTIVE

We evaluate the effect on adverse events of a telephone follow-up quality improvement program.

METHODS

This was a before-and-after intervention comparison based on prospectively collected data in a tertiary care hospital emergency department (ED) (82,000 visits per year). The first half (April 15 to July 31, 2001) served as control, and the second half (August 1 to November 15, 2001) served as intervention with feedback to physicians on telephone follow-up outcomes of discharged patients and resident training about the uncertain presentations of serious diseases and the need to use additional evaluation on selected patients (observation unit, hospital admission). Telephone follow-up of the high-risk patients and retrospective review of 3-day return visits were used to quantify outcome measures: return visits to EDs and clinically significant adverse events (return visits with serious misdiagnoses or an erroneous management plan). The differences in proportions of outcomes were measured with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

High-risk patients were enrolled: 566 (13.7%) of 4,139 discharged patients in the before-intervention period and 397 (11.3%) of 3,507 in the after-intervention period. The quality improvement initiative decreased return visits on enrolled patients from 10.1% (57/566) to 4.9% (19/397) (5.2% difference with 95% CI 1.8% to 8.8%) and decreased clinically significant adverse events from 4.1% (23/566) to 1.5% (6/397) (2.6% difference with 95% CI 0.3% to 4.8%). For all ED discharged patients, clinically significant adverse events decreased from 0.9% (39/4,139) to 0.4% (15/3,507) (0.5% difference with 95% CI 0.1% to 0.9%). During the study, the observation rate increased 4.3% (95% CI 2.8% to 5.7%), and the admission rate increased 3.4% (95% CI 2.1% to 4.8%).

CONCLUSION

A quality improvement program with feedback to physicians of telephone follow-up and resident education can decrease clinically significant adverse events in ED discharged patients.

Hepatobiliary ultrasound

The use of ultrasound technology in the emergency department(ED) is a recent and fast-growing phenomenon. Ultrasound is an extremely valuable tool for the evaluation of gallbladder (GB) dis-ease in the ED for several reasons: this disease is a common medical problem, cholecystitis can present in different ways clinically,the nature of the GB allows it to be well visualized by ultrasound,and ultrasound has many benefits and few complications associated with its use. This article reviews the focused examination of the GB, with specific attention to test characteristics (sensitivity,specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value)when performed by emergency physicians in the ED.

Hand carried echocardiography in the critical care setting

Miniaturized echocardiography units known as hand carried ultrasound (HCU) now exist with features similar to those used for standard echocardiography. The small size and low cost of these units may lead to increased availability of echocardiography to be performed by all physicians taking care of critically ill patients. Use of HCU by critical care physicians may allow for improved bedside diagnosis with improved accuracy over physical examination. Studies comparing HCU with standard echocardiography in the critical care setting have reported that HCU is limited by decreased image quality and that it may miss important diagnoses even when used by experienced sonographers and echocardiographers. Despite its limitations, however, HCU can often answer important clinical questions in the critically ill. This review explores the current literature on the use of HCU in the critical care setting, discusses the limitations of HCU, and examines the costs of implementing this new technology.