Shanghai (April 11, 2016)-- According to research being presented at CHEST World Congress this month, patients in early shock evaluated with point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) spent less time on medications that support blood pressure and showed trends toward fewer days being supported by mechanical ventilation and time in the ICU. This was associated with calculated cost savings of about $20,000 per patient.
In this controlled retrospective cohort study from researchers at Kern ICU at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, OR, United States, researchers examined use of POCUS ultrasound to evaluate intravascular volume status in early shock. The POCUS treatment group in the study had significantly less total time on vasoactive agents and a trend toward improved outcomes in all other measured end points when compared with the control group. These trends persisted despite the POCUS group having higher severity of illness scores.
"The use of point-of-care ultrasound by intensive care clinicians continues to increase, and studies demonstrating improvements in patient outcomes are of great importance," said Daniel Mitchell, DO, lead study author. "In this study, decreased morbidity and calculated cost savings were very promising.
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Further study results will be shared at CHEST World Congress 2016. The study abstract can be viewed on the journal CHEST website http://bit.ly/1qB2Ux7.
CHEST World Congress 2016, a global event connecting clinicians from around the world specializing in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine will be held April 15 to 17, 2016, in Shanghai, China, with the support of the Chinese Thoracic Society.
CHEST, publisher of the journal CHEST, is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research, and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication, and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.