Point‐of‐care ultrasound in obstetrics

Abstract

Point-of-care ultrasound, or PoCUS, where imaging is undertaken at the bedside, clinic or emergency department (ED) by the clinician overseeing treatment, is a rapid form of assessment that may be undertaken alongside or as an alternative to traditional, formal ultrasound performed by a radiology service. PoCUS reduces the time to diagnosis, thus allowing lifesaving treatment to be initiated. This is particularly relevant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBGYN), where delayed diagnosis of pregnancy complications is often fatal or highly debilitating to the mother or fetus. The literature suggests that PoCUS is particularly useful in areas that are inadequately resourced, as it is relatively cheap and accessible. High-quality training is essential to ensure that the staff performing the scans are adequately qualified to deliver the service. Clinicians who perform PoCUS in their practice should be aware of the appropriate indications, as well as when to refer for formal imaging.

Evaluation of antenatal Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) training: a systematic review

“…However, training guidelines and standards to ensure a minimum level of competency for safe practice vary between countries, with PoCUS remaining largely unregulated globally [ 34–36 ]. In many countries, health practitioners may perform PoCUS with little or no training, and without formal accreditation, leading authorities to call for reform and regulation of its use [ 16 , 37 ]. Ultrasound performed by untrained clinicians may represent a higher risk of misdiagnoses.…”

The Utility of Maternal Point of Care Ultrasound on Labor and Delivery Wards

“…POCUS is now widely recognized to complement the physical examination and serve as a safe interventional guidance at the bedside. Moreover, an ultrasound has become a routine approach when caring for critically ill patients including those on labor and delivery wards [6][7][8]. It has a wide range of applications, including but not limited to obtaining images of the thorax (lung and pleural), abdomino-pelvis, vascular, and cardiac organs.…”

Advancing, strengthening and reshaping obstetric critical care with Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

“…POCUS is currently highly utilised by emergency physicians in North America. [ 56 ] Nevertheless, its application in the perioperative period is fast-increasing. A number of narrative reviews on the application of POCUS perioperatively have been recently published and all of them have portrayed that it has diverse clinical utility and great potential.…”