Point-of-Care Ultrasound as a Prognostic Tool in Critically Ill Patients: Insights Beyond Core Muscle Mass.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Muscle wasting is a critical and underrecognized determinant of outcomes in intensive care, yet conventional core muscle measurements such as computed tomography (CT)-derived L3 Skeletal Muscle Index (L3 SMI) may overlook localized muscle loss and be confounded by fluid shifts. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) offers a bedside, repeatable method for assessing peripheral muscle thickness.

Objectives

To determine the prognostic value of peripheral muscle thickness, measured by POCUS, in predicting mortality, frailty, and functional outcomes in critically ill patients; and to compare these findings with core muscle mass assessed by L3 SMI.

Design

Prospective, single-center, observational study of critically ill adults admitted to the ICU with sepsis or requiri

SUBMITTER: Skoczynski R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12660653 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature