Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40875620›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Implementation of point-of-care ultrasound in the medical intensive care unit: A retrospective analysis of physician practices and patient outcomes.

Sam Tierney, Stephen Germana, Frank Papik, Werda Alam, Abigail Chua, Sunil Chulani, Karin Hasegawa, Xiaoyue Zhang, Sahar Ahmad

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Sam TierneyRenaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America.ORCID 0009-0007-2693-883X
Stephen GermanaDepartment of Medicine, Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America.
Frank PapikDepartment of Medicine, Oconee Memorial Hospital, Seneca, South Carolina, United States of America.
Werda AlamDepartment of Medicine, Mount Sinai West, New York, New York, United States of America.
Abigail ChuaRenaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America.
Sunil ChulaniDepartment of Medicine, Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America.
Karin HasegawaDepartment of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America.ORCID 0009-0007-8999-0635
Xiaoyue ZhangBiostatistical Consulting Core, Office of Scientific Affairs, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America.
Sahar AhmadRenaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPoint of care ultrasound (POCUS) use has become ubiquitous in the ICU setting. Despite this, there remains a paucity of data regarding how its use impacts patient outcomes. We sought to determine if physician attitudes toward and use of POCUS impact patient outcomes.

objectivesTo evaluate the impact of physician use of POCUS in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) on patient care outcomes.

methodsA longitudinal, single-center retrospective study of adult patients in a tertiary care center MICU was conducted between 2016 and 2017. A total of 512 patient encounters were analyzed for: number of ventilator days, number of vasopressor days, and MICU length of stay. The outcomes were then compared between attending physicians who showed high, medium, and low self-reported POCUS implementation and confidence scores by questionnaire.

resultsPatients of physicians in the low POCUS confidence group had a statistically significant increase in MICU length of stay (IRR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.06-1.32, p = 0.0022) and ventilator days (IRR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.03-1.36, p = 0.0197) compared to the medium confidence group.

conclusionsOur investigation found a statistically significant relationship between self-reported confidence in POCUS by MICU physicians and MICU length of stay as well as total days spent on mechanical ventilation. Increased self-reported use of POCUS by physicians did not impact patient outcomes in this population. There was similarly no evidence of increased harm or adverse outcomes in high-POCUS implementation groups.

Indexed as

Intensive Care UnitsPhysiciansPoint-of-Care SystemsPractice Patterns, Physicians'AdultAgedFemaleHumansLength of StayLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesUltrasonography

Identifiers

PMID40875620
PMCPMC12393712

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.