Clinical Progress Note: Point‐of‐Care Ultrasound for the Pediatric Hospitalist

Abstract

he recent designation of Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) as a board-certified subspecialty has provided the opportunity to define which skills are core to hospitalist practice. One skill that is novel to the field and gaining traction is point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS). POCUS differs from traditional ultrasonography in that it is performed at the bedside by the primary clinician and aims to answer a focused clinical question (eg, does this patient have a skin abscess?) rather than to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the anatomy and physiology. The proposed advantages of POCUS include real-time image interpretation, cost savings, procedural guidance to minimize complications, and reduction of ionizing radiation. Although specialties such as Critical Care (CC) and Emergency Medicine (EM) have integrated POCUS into their practice and training, best practices in PHM have not been defined. This Progress Note is a summary of recent evidence to update past reviews and set the stage for future PHM POCUS research and education.

Fulfilling the Potential of Point‐of‐Care Ultrasound in Hospital Medicine

“…The enthusiasm surrounding point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) is clear and well founded. POCUS is a powerful tool that produces valuable diagnostic information for common and important clinical problems faced by hospitalists, such as pneumonia, soft‐tissue infections, 1 and myriad other applications. It can inform the evaluation and management of complex clinical problems such as dyspnea 2 .…”