POCUS or no POCUS

Abstract

The use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the perioperative setting by the anesthesiologists has now become a new demand. It has been proven to improve the patient outcome and to guide clinical management in critical situations. The anesthesiologists are still struggling to obtain POCUS skills and become POCUS competent. In Canada, many institutions have started to integrate POCUS into their anesthesiology training programs to build up a new generation of POCUS trained anesthesiologists. However, it's important to remember that POCUS is very different from the formal ultrasound examination done by the radiologists. This editorial defines the benefits of POCUS to anesthesia practice and offers strategies to help integrate POCUS into the routine anesthesia training programs.