The Impact of Point-of-Care Ultrasound

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been found to be useful for aiding in the prediction of fluid responsiveness. It is unknown if trainees can effectively utilize this tool to improve their assessment of fluid responsiveness. In this prospective, observational study, pulmonary and critical care fellows are asked to make 2 assessments of fluid responsiveness in adults with shock: (1) based on clinical exam alone (Clinical) and (2) after performing a POCUS (Clinical + US). The accuracy of their pre- and post-ultrasound assessments are compared using a bioreactance monitor and passive leg raise test as the gold standard of fluid responsiveness in this study.