Pocket ultrasound devices for focused echocardiography

Pocket ultrasound devices have recently been developed and may be particularly useful for emergency assessment. These devices can be stored in a pocket but share only some technical features with conventional echocardiographic machines. Two-dimensional imaging and color flow mode are available, with possible adjustments of global gain and depth, but Doppler features are lacking. These devices are particularly fitted for focused echocardiography. In this issue, a trial compares a pocket ultrasound device with a conventional echocardiographic machine for focused echocardiography in patients admitted to the emergency department. This commentary will put these findings into perspective.