Incorporation of point-of-care ultrasound into morning round is associated with improvement in clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with sepsis

Objectives: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been widely used in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, it is largely unknown whether the use of POCUS is associated with improved patient-important outcomes. The study aimed to investigate whether incorporation of POCUS during morning round on a routine basis was able to improve clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with sepsis. Design: It was a prospective observational study. Setting: A tertiary care emergency intensive care unit. Patients: All patients admitted to the emergency ICU from January 2016 to December 2017 were screened for potential eligibility. Sepsis was defined as infection plus signs of organ dysfunction. Intervention: The intervention group incorporated POCUS during morning round on a routine basis, and a checklist was developed to improve the compliance. The control group did not have the mandates to perform POCUS during morning round, but could use POCUS when necessary. Measurements: Clinical outcomes of mortality, length of stay in ICU, durations of vasopressors and mechanical ventilation were compared between the intervention and control groups. Multivariable regression model was employed to adjust for confounding factors. Main results: A total of 129 subjects, including 88 in the control group and 41 in the intervention group, were included for analysis. Univariate analysis showed that the intervention group had shorter durations of mechanical ventilation (MV) (4.5 +/- 1.2 vs. 5.7 +/- 1.0 days; p = 0.034) and more negative fluid balance (-143 vs. 48 ml/24 h; p = 0.003) on day 3. In multivariable model, routine incorporation of POCUS was associated with lower risk of prolonged (> 7 days) ICU stay (OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.29-0.88; p = 0.029). Conclusions: The study showed that incorporation of POCUS during morning round on a routine basis was associated with shortened duration of MV and length of stay in ICU. The possible mechanism underlying the relationship may be via reduced fluid administration. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to validate current findings.