EFSUMB Clinical Practice Guidelines for Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Part One (Common Heart and Pulmonary Applications)...

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Critical Care Ultrasound
• Cardiopulmonary Imaging

Background:

• Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) is increasingly utilized in acute care settings.
• Standardized guidelines are needed for common cardiac and pulmonary PoCUS applications.
• Evidence synthesis and expert consensus can inform best practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate existing evidence for common heart and lung PoCUS applications.
• To develop a summary of findings and provide expert-derived recommendations.
• To establish consensus among international experts on PoCUS guidelines.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of 10 clinical questions regarding cardiac and pulmonary PoCUS was conducted.
• Levels of evidence (LoE) and GRADE recommendations were assigned.
• 38 international experts reviewed the evidence and recommendations, requiring >75% agreement for consensus.

Main Results:

• Recommendations varied in strength and evidence levels across the 10 questions.
• Two questions achieved LoE 2 with strong GRADE recommendations.
• Most questions reached broad agreement, with varying LoE and GRADE recommendations.

Conclusions:

• Consensus-derived recommendations for PoCUS in acute settings are presented.
• These guidelines aim to support clinical decision-making.
• The study identifies areas for future research in cardiopulmonary PoCUS.