Diagnostic Accuracy of Abdominal Point of Care Ultrasound in Primary Care: Study Design and Protocol.

The aim of this study is to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of abdominal point of care ultrasound (POCUS) performed by family physicians (FPs) in primary care (PC), in comparison with the findings in the medical record (MR) at 12 months of follow-up. This study is conducted entirely in PC healthcare centers in Spain. Abdominal ultrasound scans performed by FPs (selected on the basis of their ultrasound knowledge and experience) are compared with the findings, or not, in the patient's MR after a 12-month follow-up period.

Lung Ultrasound Performed by Primary Care Physicians for Clinically Suspected Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

Purpose: We investigated whether lung ultrasound (US) performed in primary care is useful and feasible for diagnosing community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) compared with chest radiography, as most previous research has been conducted in hospital settings.

Methods: We undertook a prospective observational cohort study of lung US performed in 12 primary care centers. Patients aged 5 years and older with symptoms suggesting CAP were examined with lung US (by 21 family physicians and 7 primary care pediatricians) and chest radiograph on the same day.

Usefulness of Lung Ultrasound Examinations Performed by Primary Care Physicians in Patients With Suspected COVID-19.

Objectives: In patients with suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) consulting primary care (PC) centers, clinical criteria may not be sensitive enough to detect many cases in which complications first occur. We intended to assess whether lung ultrasound (LUS) examinations performed by PC physicians are a useful tool to detect lung injury and may help in decisions about hospital referral.

Methods: This study included 61 patients with moderate symptoms suggesting COVID-19 who were evaluated with LUS by PC physicians and then referred to a hospital during the current pandemic peak in Madrid.

[Point of Care Ultrasound in Primary Care. Is it a high resolution tool?].

Point-of-Care Ultrasound is a method of performing a rapid clinical ultrasound, with the aim of responding to a clinical question immediately. This is not an ultrasound performed systematically as the radiologists do, nor does it pretend to replace it. It is useful in some kind of screening (abdominal aortic aneurysm) and is of special interest in ultrasound-guided procedures (joint infiltration by injection).