A prospective cohort study on the role of an abbreviated ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute dyspnea at first point of contact in a tertiary care centre.

Abstract

Introduction: Point of care ultrasonography (PoCUS) is a revolutionary tool, aimed at improving patient outcomes in the acutely sick patient. Acute severe dyspnea is a frequently encountered complaint in the emergency department that requires quick assessment and intervention. We aimed to [5] compare the accuracy of diagnosis established by the physician before and after an abbreviated triple Scan ultrasonography at first point of contact with the final diagnosis. Methods: In this prospective observational study at a tertiary care centre,100 consecutive patients presenting with acute dyspnea and without any previously recognized condition known to cause dyspnea or recent trauma were recruited and subjected to standard evaluation and care, underwent [10] triplescan (TS) an algorithm based diagnostic evaluation for dyspnea, which includes lung, heart and Inferiorvenacava ultrasonography, Cohens Kappa Coefficient was used to estimate concordance with final diagnosis.