Extract Acute presentations of dyspnoea represent a challenging and frequently encountered complaint in the emergency department (ED), representing 5 - 12% of all presentations and resulting from a wide range of cardiopulmonary, metabolic and systemic aetiologies [1]. In the context of increasing demands on healthcare systems, achieving rapid diagnostics in this cohort of patients is paramount in order to facilitate timely treatment and triage to inpatient admission, ambulatory management or discharge.
Traditional diagnostic pathways to investigate dyspnoea consist of clinical assessment, blood tests, chest radiographs and cross-sectional imaging, which may be subject to delays due to processing or reporting, and necessitate exposure to ionising radiation. Over the past decade, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), particularly focused cardiac and lung/pleural ultrasound, has emerged as a compelling adjunct in this setting, providing clinicians with the ability to undertake dynamic testing that can be interpreted in real time.
POCUS has been associated with faster diagnostic decisions and has demonstrated accuracy in identifying conditions such as pleural effusions, interstitial syndrome, cardiac dysfunction and pulmonary embolism [2 - 5].