Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41357477›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2025

Applications and indications of point-of-care ultrasound in emergency department encounters involving palliative care patients.

Kamonwon Ienghong, Korakot Apiratwarakul, Sukanya Khemtong, Lap Woon Cheung

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in medicine, 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

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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

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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

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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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

4 authors.

Kamonwon IenghongDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Korakot ApiratwarakulDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Sukanya KhemtongDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Lap Woon CheungDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a rapid bedside imaging technique that facilitates symptom-focused, targeted care for palliative patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). This study outlines the indications, ultrasound-detected diagnoses, and procedural applications of POCUS in palliative care patients at a tertiary ED in Thailand. Methods: A retrospective analysis of adult emergency department encounters at Srinagarind Hospital was conducted from January 2020 to December 2024. Patients aged 18 years or older, classified under ICD-10 Z51.5 (palliative care), with documented POCUS examinations in the electronic medical record were included. Demographic data, presenting complaints, triage levels, the purpose of POCUS (diagnostic, procedural guidance, or both), and POCUS findings as recorded by the performing emergency medicine team were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings. Results: Of 875 emergency department patients classified as palliative, 434 (49.6%) had documented point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and were included in the study. The median age was 71 years (range 64-97). Of these, 59.7% were male, and 74.9% had oncological diagnoses. High-acuity triage levels (1-2) accounted for 41.9% of cases. POCUS was primarily used for diagnostic assessment in 74.9% of cases and for procedural support in 42.2% of patients. The most frequently identified conditions were ascites (42.6%) and pleural effusion (11.1%). The most common POCUS-guided procedures were abdominal paracentesis (34.8%) and thoracentesis (7.4%). Conclusion: POCUS frequently addressed symptom-directed concerns in palliative patients in the emergency department, commonly identifying fluid-related causes of distress and enabling bedside, symptom-relieving procedures. With appropriate training, governance, and prospective evaluation of patient-centered outcomes, POCUS has the potential to enhance acute supportive care for palliative patients across Thailand.

Indexed as

decision makingdiagnostic techniques and proceduresemergency servicepalliative supportive careultrasonography

Identifiers

PMID41357477
PMCPMC12675386

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