Open AccessPoint of care ultrasound: a clinical decision support tool for COVID-19
Author(s) -
Suneel Ramesh Desai,
Jolin Wong,
Thangavelautham Suhitharan,
Yew Weng Chan,
Shin Yi Ng
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
singapore medical journal/singapore medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.452
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 2737-5935
pISSN - 0037-5675
DOI - 10.11622/smedj.2021098
Subject(s) - medicine , triage , intensive care medicine , point of care testing , point of care , intensive care , point of care ultrasound , covid-19 , health care , medical emergency , ultrasound , pathology , radiology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics , economic growth , disease
The COVID-19 global pandemic has overwhelmed health services with large numbers of patients presenting to hospital, requiring immediate triage and diagnosis. Complications include acute respiratory distress syndrome, myocarditis, septic shock, and multiple organ failure. Point of care ultrasound is recommended for critical care triage and monitoring in COVID-19 by specialist critical care societies, however current guidance has mainly been published in webinar format, not a comprehensive review. Important limitations of point of care ultrasound include inter-rater variability and subjectivity in interpretation of imaging findings, as well as infection control concerns. A practical approach to clinical integration of point of care ultrasound findings in COVID-19 patients is presented to enhance consistency in critical care decision making, and relevant infection control guidelines and operator precautions are discussed, based on a narrative review of the literature.