Point-of-care ultrasound can make the difference in patients with heart failure at primary care.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Primary healthcare centers (PHC) play a pivotal role in the first-line management of patients with diabetes and hypertension, major risk factors for heart failure (HF) development. Point-of-care cardiac ultrasound (POCUS), integrated as an extension of the physical examination, holds significant potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy and clinical management in this setting.

Objectives

Evaluate the impact of POCUS on clinical decision-making in patients with HF and at risk of developing HF in PHC and compare POCUS findings with clinical assessment alone, conventional echocardiography, and electrocardiogram results.

Methods

Patients with diabetes, hypertension, or HF symptoms at a PHC underwent POCUS by a trained family physician. The findings were compared

SUBMITTER: Dos Santos J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12411906 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature