A Closer Look At Point of Care Ultrasound And Its Benefits
POINT OF CARE ULTRASOUND (POCUS)
My educational path lead me to becoming a Diagnostic Sonographer for several years. When I separated from my husband years ago, as I’ve mentioned, we worked side by side within a local group of clinicians. Unfortunately, for many reasons, this made it somewhat difficult for me to continue working in my direct field, anywhere close to home.
Branches of Ultrasonography
Fortunately, sonography has many other branches to explore. One of them is called clinical applications. This position is generally created for fairly experienced sonographers who have the ability to perform optimal images on patients and can provide demonstrations on various different ultrasound models on behalf of a particular company. There are numerous companies who manufacture ultrasound systems, therefore it is a fairly competitive industry.
Some companies specialize or focus on specific areas of study and then customize their units to optimally image these areas. The imaging quality of these units has become extremely sharp and clear for easy identification of pathology and anatomy. The area that I developed a big interest to has been an area of medical imaging called “Point of Care Imaging.” The main difference in this type of imaging compared to the Diagnostic Imagine I had been doing for many years is this:
Point-of-Care Ultrasound
- Point-of-Care ultrasound machines are devices that can be taken to the patient’s bedside directly instead of transporting the patient to the location of the scanner. They are portable ultrasound units.
- Point-of -Care ultrasound is a quick scanning tool that aids clinicians in making a decision. It is an excellent tool that can provide information quickly to sometimes confirm or help figure out the cause of an injury, illness, or other needed diagnosis. They are often used in the emergency department and critical care units.
- Point-of-Care ultrasound can be used to assist in finding blood vessels for IV or line This avoids several needle pokes to the patient and allows for accurate placement of the needle/line. It is a great tool for patient care.
- Needle injection guided by ultrasound
Multiple case studies have shown that by using bedside ultrasound, diagnostic accuracy has improved, it has reduced the amount of time taken to come to a diagnosis in emergency medicine, improved patient safety, and decreased complication rates in a non-invasive way.
When I decided to take a position with a company who sold these Point- of-Care units, it opened up a completely different way of looking at ultrasonography . Don’t get me wrong…there is by EVERY means still a huge need for Radiology and Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging in it’s purest form. This is where the full diagnostic imaging exams are performed. It is the gold standard in medicine for a proper diagnosis. D.I. is where the medical professionals who are trained reside that have years of experience and knowledge on how to read and perform ultrasounds.
Ultrasound making a difference in healthcare
I truly believe as a trained ultrasonographer, that there is room for both of these imaging fields. When I started with the company and began my training in Point-of-Care, I realized how useful and game changing this technology was. All of the physicians, nurses, and clinicians were very receptive to any pocus training we could provide them. If you could image inside of a patient, it was almost equivalent to someone giving someone a magic wand. “You will show me how to look inside of someone to see what is going on in there?” This would save hours and hours of resources. Pocus technology could truly make a difference. Like I described earlier though, this ultrasound usage was designed as a quick, useful tool that could aid in the diagnosis to patients who needed answers quickly. What did I mean exactly by this though?
Ultrasound studies are extremely user dependent
First of all, any ultrasound study result outcomes are user dependent. This means that whoever is performing and reading the ultrasound study needs to know what they are looking at. This would require that the operator be properly trained. The proper certification would be required for each user in the field prior to adopting this tool into their scope of practice. When used properly though, Point-of-Care ultrasounds have become very effective at helping with much of the following:
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- Finding an appendicitis or an acute appendix rupture.
- Determining whether a fetus or embryo is viable… assessing for a heartbeat.
- Assessing for an ectopic A pregnancy outside of the uterus.
- Free fluid within the abdomen or Usually do to trauma.
- Pericarditis, Pericardial effusion or fluid around the heart.
- Kidney stones or effusions.
- Miscarriages.
- Ovarian cysts.
- Hernias.
- Echocardiography
- Ultrasound image of the heart
You have to take into consideration that Point-of-Care ultrasound is available to help find something that is likely going to be fairly obvious to the scanner. Generally, these scans are limited to a few minutes. The less obvious pathology scans would likely have to go to the radiology department for further evaluation. However, a lot of these “quick look” scans have been the deciding factor on whether or not some patients have gone for emergency surgeries. Without this tool available, the quick diagnosis would not have been achievable.
Who Performs Point of CareUltrasound ?
Point of care ultrasound is typically performed by a healthcare provider such as a doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or sonographer. Depending on the type of procedure and the patient’s condition, other specialists such as cardiologists may also be involved in performing the procedure. Point of care ultrasound is used to diagnose and treat medical conditions, assess injury severity and guide treatment decisions. It can also be used to evaluate patients for possible surgical intervention or to monitor a patient’s progress during treatment. Ultrasound imaging is non-invasive, safe and accurate, making it an ideal tool for point of care diagnosis.
Is There Certification for Point of Care Ultrasound?
Yes, there is certification for point of care ultrasound. The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) offers the Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Certification, which is designed to recognize and validate the expertise and proficiency of medical professionals in point of care ultrasound imaging. To become certified, applicants must successfully complete an ARDMS-approved POCUS training program and pass the associated certification exam. This certification is available to physicians, sonographers, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other healthcare professionals who have experience with point of care ultrasound imaging. Earning a POCUS Certification can help validate professional qualifications and knowledge in this area of practice.
What is the objective of point of care ultrasound?
The objective of point of care ultrasound is to provide clinicians with a rapid, non-invasive method of diagnosing and monitoring patients. Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is a type of medical imaging technology that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce detailed images in real-time. It can be used to quickly assess a patient’s condition and identify any potential medical issues or abnormalities. POCUS can be used to diagnose conditions such as heart disease, abdominal problems, and soft tissue injuries. It can also be used for monitoring pregnancies and other medical procedures. In addition, POCUS offers physicians the ability to immediately intervene if necessary and make decisions based on the information obtained from the scan.
What is point of care ultrasound in ICU?
Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is the use of diagnostic ultrasound imaging in an intensive care unit (ICU) to aid in rapid diagnosis and treatment. POCUS can be used to assess a wide range of conditions. This can include cardiac and pulmonary diseases, gastrointestinal and abdominal issues, as well as musculoskeletal trauma. It is a non-invasive tool that can provide real-time information about a patient’s condition. It helps clinicians quickly identify the source of the problem. Informed decisions about treatment can then be made. POCUS can help save time by eliminating the need for more costly or invasive tests. It reduces errors and misdiagnoses, improve patient outcomes, and lower healthcare costs.
We’ve come a long way in technology over that past couple of decades. I can’t wait to look back at this article ten years from now and wonder how much better of an article I will have written by then. Stay Tuned! HA!
