Point-of-care ultrasound in cardiovascular medicine: current situation, problems and future prospects

YAMADA Hirotsugu, BANDO Mika

doi:10.3179/jjmu.jjmu.r.148

Although clinical application of ultrasound to the heart has a history of about 80 years, its big turning point was the emergence of a portable ultrasound diagnostic machine. As a result, the place where echocardiography is performed widely spread outside the examination room, and the people who perform echocardiography have also greatly increased. Emergency physicians, anesthesiologists and primary care physicians became interested in echocardiography and started using it. Such ultrasonic examinations performed by a doctor for assessment of disease condition, management or guidance of treatment at bedside has been called point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). Echocardiography in POCUS is divided into a focused cardiac ultrasound examination (FoCUS) performed by non-experts in echocardiography such as emergency physicians and anesthesiologists, and limited echocardiography performed by cardiologists who are experts in echocardiography. FoCUS has an established protocol and evaluation method, and evidence to prove its effect is mounting. Although FoCUS is becoming popular in Japan, an educational program for FoCUS has not been established, and discussion on how to educate medical students and interns will be necessary. Even if POCUS in cardiovascular medicine becomes widespread, auscultation will still be necessary. Rather, adding echocardiography to inspection, palpation and auscultation in the flow of physical examinations will benefit the patient greatly.

Point-of-care ultrasound in cardiovascular medicine: current situation, problems and future prospects

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