Many Emergency Physicians and paramedics now view point-of-care ultrasound as a tool, and not a procedure or study. It is primarily used to quickly and more correctly ascertain a limited set of internal physical findings to aid in emergent patient assessment and treatment.
While conventional ultrasound can be a lengthy process, and is usually conducted by highly trained and experienced sonographers with non-mobile units, prehospital ultrasound is a portable, simple and quick process that is narrowly focused on a small set of criteria.
There are many indications for the use of prehospital ultrasound. Often determining the severity of trauma to the chest and abdomen, determining and assessing trauma or penetration of the heart, and to identify extent of internal bleeding are starting points. POCUS can differentiate COPD exacerbations from heart failure in seconds and with high sensitivity and specificity. Pneumothorax, AAA, cardiac and pleural effusions are easily identified. Views of the heart during resuscitation can be extremely valuable. As time goes on, it is likely that there will be dozens of additional indications for field use.
