Doctor using point-of-care ultrasound to diagnose a patient's heart condition.

Unlocking Heart Health: How Point-of-Care Ultrasound Can Save Lives in Chest Pain Centers

Kai Mendoza in Health & Wellness June 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is revolutionizing chest pain diagnosis, offering rapid and accurate assessments that can significantly improve patient outcomes."

Chest pain is a common complaint in emergency departments, often requiring a complex and time-sensitive diagnostic process. Traditional methods involve a combination of patient history, physical examination, and various tests, including electrocardiograms (ECGs) and blood work. However, these methods can be time-consuming, and delays in diagnosis can have serious consequences for patients with acute cardiac conditions.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is transforming the landscape of emergency medicine, particularly in chest pain centers. POCUS allows trained emergency physicians to perform real-time ultrasound examinations at the patient's bedside, providing immediate insights into cardiac function, fluid status, and other critical parameters. This rapid assessment can help expedite diagnosis, triage patients more effectively, and guide treatment decisions.

A recent study investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of POCUS in a chest pain center, revealing its potential to significantly improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. The study, conducted over three months, enrolled 97 patients presenting with chest pain and evaluated the use of POCUS in conjunction with standard medical procedures.

POCUS: A Game-Changer in Chest Pain Assessment?

Doctor using point-of-care ultrasound to diagnose a patient's heart condition.

The study meticulously incorporated POCUS into the routine assessment of chest pain patients. Following initial evaluations, trained emergency doctors performed POCUS, focusing on key areas such as:

The results of the study highlighted the impressive capabilities of POCUS in diagnosing various conditions associated with chest pain:

Myocardial Infarction: POCUS accurately diagnosed 17 cases of myocardial infarction (17.52%) through the observation of ventricular wall weakness, with a sensitivity of 100% when confirmed by UCG, CAG, or POCT.
Pulmonary Embolism: POCUS identified 5 cases of pulmonary embolism (5.15%) by detecting enlargement of the right atrium and ventricle, though two cases were initially missed, resulting in a sensitivity of 60%.
Pneumothorax: POCUS successfully diagnosed 13 cases of pneumothorax (13.40%) by identifying A-lines, with a sensitivity of 100%. Two cases were missed, indicating a specificity of 86.67%.
Aortic Dissection: POCUS detected 7 cases of aortic dissection through the observation of floating endarterium, confirmed by CT or operation, achieving a sensitivity of 100%. Two cases were missed, leading to a specificity of 77.78%.
Gallstones: POCUS identified 3 cases of gallstones (3.09%), all of which were confirmed by CT, with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%.

The average time to perform a POCUS examination was just 9.23 minutes, demonstrating its efficiency in a busy emergency department setting. In 41 cases (42.27%), POCUS helped to clarify diagnoses that were initially unclear, underscoring its value in complex or ambiguous presentations.

Empowering Emergency Physicians with POCUS

The study's findings strongly support the integration of POCUS into chest pain centers. Its rapid, non-invasive nature makes it an invaluable tool for emergency physicians, enabling them to quickly assess and diagnose a wide range of conditions. By enhancing diagnostic accuracy and efficiency, POCUS can lead to faster treatment decisions, improved patient outcomes, and more effective resource allocation.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.568, Alternate LINK

Title: Gw29-E1717 Point Of Care Ultrasound In Chest Pain Center: A Feasibility Study

Subject: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Jianghui Liu, Yingxiong Huang, Keke Wang, Ziyu Zheng, Zi Ye, Hong Zhan

Published: 2018-10-01

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly is point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and how does it work?

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a real-time ultrasound examination performed by trained emergency physicians at the patient's bedside. It provides immediate insights into cardiac function, fluid status, and other critical parameters. This rapid assessment expedites diagnosis and guides treatment decisions in chest pain centers. This contrasts with traditional methods that can be time-consuming and delay diagnosis, potentially leading to serious consequences for patients experiencing chest pain.

Why is POCUS so important in chest pain centers?

POCUS is important in chest pain centers because it significantly improves diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. It allows for faster and more accurate diagnoses of conditions such as myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, aortic dissection, and gallstones. By providing rapid assessments, it allows doctors to make treatment decisions quicker, improving patient outcomes and the allocation of resources. The average time to perform a POCUS examination was just 9.23 minutes, highlighting its efficiency in a busy emergency department.

What are the implications of using POCUS in the context of chest pain?

The implications of using POCUS include faster treatment decisions, improved patient outcomes, and more effective resource allocation. By quickly identifying conditions like myocardial infarction, treatment can be administered promptly, potentially saving lives. The ability to quickly rule out or confirm conditions reduces the time patients spend in the emergency department and reduces unnecessary testing. The study showed that in 41 cases (42.27%), POCUS helped to clarify diagnoses that were initially unclear, underscoring its value in complex or ambiguous presentations.

What specific conditions can POCUS help diagnose?

POCUS can help diagnose a wide range of conditions associated with chest pain. It can accurately diagnose myocardial infarction by observing ventricular wall weakness. POCUS can identify pulmonary embolism by detecting enlargement of the right atrium and ventricle. Pneumothorax can be successfully diagnosed by identifying A-lines. Aortic dissection is detected through the observation of floating endarterium, and gallstones can be identified. The use of POCUS significantly improves the ability of physicians to diagnose these critical conditions rapidly.

How effective is POCUS in diagnosing these conditions based on the study?

The study results indicate that POCUS is a game-changer, with the sensitivity and specificity for many critical conditions reaching 100%. For Myocardial Infarction, POCUS had a sensitivity of 100% and for Aortic Dissection it was also 100%. While for Pulmonary Embolism the sensitivity was at 60% because 2 cases were initially missed. Overall this indicates that POCUS is a significant advancement in chest pain assessment, and its incorporation into chest pain centers can drastically improve patient care.