Point-of-care ultrasound for faster trauma and stroke diagnoses in the ED

Background: Medical diagnosis time affects ED patient outcomes. This applies particularly to urgent diseases like trauma and stroke. Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) has long been utilised in trauma. More study is needed on how it impacts overall review plans and stroke emergency room utilisation. 

Aims: This research investigated how effectively POCUS speeds up trauma and stroke diagnosis, how accurate it is, and how it impacts clinical decision-making in a tertiary care emergency department.

Methods: Retrospective cohort research examined 2,850 King Hussein Medical Centre ED patients from January 2024 to June 2025. We examined 360 injured adults and 210 stroke suspects. The patient went home after a swift diagnosis and CT scan match. We examined the data using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U tests, and multivariate logistic regression.
Results: POCUS was performed on 68.1% of injured and 15.2% of stroke patients. The system reduced trauma diagnosis time by 54% (45 minutes vs. 98 minutes, p<0.001) and stroke CT scan time by 37% (60 minutes vs. 95 minutes, p=0.012). In trauma patients, POCUS matched CT scans 91.8% of the time, had a 92.1% positive predictive value, and doubled the likelihood of immediate surgery or ICU admission (aOR=2.10, p<0.001). Research found that POCUS was the most accurate predictor of a rapid diagnosis (<60 minutes, aOR=3.41, p<0.001), even in crowded emergency rooms.

Conclusion: Using POCUS during trauma and stroke patient assessments speeds up diagnosis, improves accuracy, and improves treatment decision-making. Even with many patients, the POCUS equipment helps the emergency room function better. Because of this, it should be utilised more for urgent cases.