“The Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Management: A Review of the Literature”

Purpose of Review: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can be particularly useful for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in the management of time-sensitive medical conditions, including cardiac arrest (CA). This manuscript will review the existing literature on the use of POCUS in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) management, including indications for its use, as well as potential advantages and limitations of this modality.

Recent Findings: Recent studies support the use of POCUS in the evaluation and treatment of OHCA, including efforts to determine the etiology of arrest. Multiple recent case reports and series further illustrate the potential value of real-time imaging with this modality, especially when traditional diagnostic tests and monitoring devices have proven to be inadequate. The use of POCUS for OHCA can lead to significant changes in management, potentially contributing to improved outcomes for select OHCA patients.

Summary: A targeted POCUS assessment can provide vital information pertaining to the diagnosis and management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) for both prehospital and in-hospital providers including guidance on pulse checks, optimization of external chest compression and integration with existing advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) protocols. It can also aid in identifying the underlying cause of CA and inform decisions on clinical OHCA management, including decisions to continue or terminate cardiopulmonary resuscitative efforts.