Diagnostic accuracy of multi-organ point-of-care ultrasound for pulmonary embolism in critically ill patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The clinical presentation of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) can range from mild symptoms to severe shock, circulatory arrest and even death, thereby presenting with a significant high mortality when undiagnosed. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the gold-standard imaging modality for diagnosing PE, however, it has several practical limitations and is not widely available in low-income country settings. In this context, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has emerged as a valuable bedside, non-invasive diagnostic tool. This meta-analysis assesses the accuracy of multi-organ POCUS for diagnosing PE in critical care settings.

Study design and methods

We conducted a systematic search of Pubmed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Library databases for studie

SUBMITTER: Melo RH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12020239 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature