TY - JOUR
T1 - A Point-of-Care Ultrasound-Driven Diagnostic Pathway for Emergency Department Patients with Dyspnea
T2 - A Randomized Controlled Trial
AU - Ovesen, Stig Holm
AU - Skaarup, Søren Helbo
AU - Aagaard, Rasmus
AU - Raaber, Nikolaj
AU - Tygesen, Gitte Boier
AU - Nielsen, Thomas
AU - Møgelvang, Charlotte
AU - Wamberg, Jesper
AU - Biesenbach, Peter
AU - Brandhof, Christina
AU - Yu, Danny
AU - Rhode, Jakob Grønnebæk
AU - Larsen, Christian Linde
AU - Zarandi, Kas
AU - Lehmann, Christina Katrin
AU - Pedersen, Søren Majgaard
AU - Mørkenborg, Mads Damgaard
AU - Leth, Ronja
AU - Thorgaard-Rasmussen, Simon
AU - Uhd, Philip
AU - Løfgren, Bo
AU - Posth, Stefan
AU - Arvig, Michael Dan
AU - Bibby, Bo Martin
AU - Laursen, Christian B
AU - Kirkegaard, Hans
AU - Weile, Jesper
PY - 2025/12/18
Y1 - 2025/12/18
N2 - BACKGROUND: Previous trials have suggested that point-of-care ultrasound for emergency department (ED) patients with dyspnea increases the proportion of patients discharged within 24 h. We aimed to assess whether this effect could be confirmed.METHODS: This trial was a randomized controlled trial in ten Danish EDs. Adult patients presenting to the ED with dyspnea as the chief complaint were randomized to the addition or omission of focused lung and cardiac ultrasound. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients discharged alive within 24 h. Secondary outcomes included overall hospital length of stay, chest imaging utilization, and 72 h alive and revisit-free.RESULTS: Among 674 patients who were randomized between January 25, 2023, and August 23, 2024, 663 were included in the analysis. The primary outcome occurred in 141 (42.6%) of 331 patients in the intervention group versus 151 (45.5%) of 332 in the control group (risk difference: -2.9; 95% confidence interval: -10.4-4.7; p=0.45). The overall incidence rate of hospital discharges per person-days at risk was 0.28 in the intervention group versus 0.32 in the control group (hazard ratio: 0.93; 95% confidence interval: 0.79-1.08; p=0.35).CONCLUSIONS: In adult ED patients with dyspnea as chief complaint, a point-of-care ultrasound-driven diagnostic pathway did not alter the proportion of patients discharged alive within 24 h or the overall hospital length of stay compared with standard care.
AB - BACKGROUND: Previous trials have suggested that point-of-care ultrasound for emergency department (ED) patients with dyspnea increases the proportion of patients discharged within 24 h. We aimed to assess whether this effect could be confirmed.METHODS: This trial was a randomized controlled trial in ten Danish EDs. Adult patients presenting to the ED with dyspnea as the chief complaint were randomized to the addition or omission of focused lung and cardiac ultrasound. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients discharged alive within 24 h. Secondary outcomes included overall hospital length of stay, chest imaging utilization, and 72 h alive and revisit-free.RESULTS: Among 674 patients who were randomized between January 25, 2023, and August 23, 2024, 663 were included in the analysis. The primary outcome occurred in 141 (42.6%) of 331 patients in the intervention group versus 151 (45.5%) of 332 in the control group (risk difference: -2.9; 95% confidence interval: -10.4-4.7; p=0.45). The overall incidence rate of hospital discharges per person-days at risk was 0.28 in the intervention group versus 0.32 in the control group (hazard ratio: 0.93; 95% confidence interval: 0.79-1.08; p=0.35).CONCLUSIONS: In adult ED patients with dyspnea as chief complaint, a point-of-care ultrasound-driven diagnostic pathway did not alter the proportion of patients discharged alive within 24 h or the overall hospital length of stay compared with standard care.
U2 - 10.1183/13993003.00070-2025
DO - 10.1183/13993003.00070-2025
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 41412717
SN - 0903-1936
JO - European Respiratory Journal
JF - European Respiratory Journal
ER -