Point‑of‑Care Ultrasound (POCUS) - Overview
Point‑of‑care ultrasound (POCUS) is an integral, bedside imaging modality in modern emergency medicine. It augments clinical assessment, guides procedures and helps identify immediately treatable pathology. POCUS is an operator‑dependent clinical skill that requires supervised training, documented competency and local governance.
For trainees and exam candidates, understanding the scope, limitations and national guidance that frame safe practice is as important as image recognition.
Aims of this overview
- Define the scope and the RCEM CORE POCUS applications relevant to trainees and exam candidates.
- Explain POCUS use in resuscitation, procedural guidance and rapid diagnosis, and summarise key limitations.
- Summarise governance, device, infection‑control and QA requirements from UK guidance (RCEM, Resuscitation Council UK, NICE, GOV.UK).
- Highlight exam‑relevant signs, common pitfalls and practical revision advice.
Scope and core applications
POCUS in the emergency department covers many focused applications. RCEM’s training guidance (2021) defines a CORE set of emergency POCUS applications that trainees should prioritise for entrustment and assessment. These form the backbone of clinical use and exam expectation.
Core (RCEM) applications
- FAST / eFAST: trauma protocol including pericardial view and abdominal views (hepatorenal/Morison’s pouch, splenorenal, pelvic suprapubic), extended to anterior pleural views for pneumothorax/haemothorax.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) assessment and diameter measurement.