Sample Size of Trials Investigating the Impact of Point-of-Care Ultrasound-Guided Strategies on Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly utilized for bedside diagnosis and management in diverse clinical contexts. However, the design of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the impact of POCUS-guided strategies on clinical outcomes presents significant challenges. This study aims to explore the assumptions underlying sample size estimation in POCUS-guided trials and assess the adequacy of sample sizes in published trials through a systematic review. We performed a sample size analysis considering varying rates of POCUS-induced management changes and plausible effect sizes on binary and continuous patient-centered outcomes. Additionally, a systematic review of PubMed was conducted to identify RCTs comparing POCUS-guided management to usual care, extracting data on plan

SUBMITTER: Beaubien-Souligny W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12605691 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature