Use of point-of-care ultrasound in the rapid diagnosis of critical conditions in the emergency room

POCUS is a powerful tool in emergency care, providing a fast, accessible, and effective way to diagnose and monitor critical conditions. However, to fully harness its potential, it is crucial to ensure the competence of operators through specialized and ongoing training. The aim of this paper is to assess the use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in emergency medicine, focusing on its diagnostic accuracy, impact on reducing time to diagnosis, cost-effectiveness, and the importance of continuous training to ensure operator competence. This study is a narrative review of the literature, aimed at evaluating the application and implications of using Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in emergency medicine. The review was conducted through the search and analysis of scientific articles published in the last five years (2019-2024), in English and Portuguese. The search for articles was performed in databases recognized by the scientific community, including PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and SciELO. The use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in the rapid diagnosis of critical conditions in the emergency room has become an essential practice, offering significant advantages in assessing critically ill patients. POCUS refers to the use of portable ultrasound devices directly in the emergency room or at the bedside, allowing doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to perform quick and easily accessible exams without the need to transport the patient to another department, such as radiology. This can be crucial in urgent situations, where time is a key factor in treatment success. POCUS represents a revolution in emergency care, providing faster, more accurate, and efficient diagnoses, with a significant impact on reducing morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients.