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Updated: Sep 10, 2025

Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound in Adults: Image Acquisition
Published on: March 3, 2023
What is the Utility of Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Diagnosing Pulmonary Edema?
Kristine Jeffers1, Samuel M Keim2, Brit Long1
1Department of Emergency, Medicine Brooke Army Medical Center, Houston, Texas.
Background:
Dyspnea is a common symptom managed in the emergency department, which has a wide differential. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) may assist in diagnosing several conditions, including pulmonary edema.
Clinical Question:
What is the utility of POCUS for diagnosing pulmonary edema?
Evidence Review:
Studies retrieved included seven systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating the use of POCUS for diagnosing pulmonary edema. These studies provide estimates of the potential utility of POCUS, with sensitivity ranging between 83% and 97%, specificity 84-98%, positive likelihood ratio 4.8-12.4, and negative likelihood ratio 0.06-0.189.
Conclusion:
Based upon the available literature, POCUS can reliably diagnose pulmonary edema.
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