ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Geriatric Medicine
This article is part of the Research TopicChallenges and Innovations in Healthcare Management and Long-Term Care for an Aging SocietyView all 33 articles
Applications and Indications of Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Emergency Department Encounters Involving Palliative Care Patients
Provisionally accepted
- 1Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- 2The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR China
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Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a rapid bedside imaging technique that facilitates symptom-focused, targeted care for palliative patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). This study outlines the indications, ultrasound-detected diagnoses, and procedural applications of POCUS in palliative care patients at a tertiary ED in Thailand. Methods: A retrospective analysis of adult emergency department encounters at Srinagarind Hospital was conducted from January 2020 to December 2024. Patients aged 18 years or older, classified under ICD-10 Z51.5 (palliative care), with documented POCUS examinations in the electronic medical record were included. Demographic data, presenting complaints, triage levels, the purpose of POCUS (diagnostic, procedural guidance, or both), and POCUS findings as recorded by the performing emergency medicine team were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings. Results: Of 875 emergency department patients classified as palliative, 434 (49.6%) had documented point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and were included in the study. The median age was 71 years (range 64–97). Of these, 59.7% were male, and 74.9% had oncological diagnoses. High-acuity triage levels (1–2) accounted for 41.9% of cases. POCUS was primarily used for diagnostic assessment in 74.9% of cases and for procedural support in 42.2% of patients. The most frequently identified conditions were ascites (42.6%) and pleural effusion (11.1%). The most common POCUS-guided procedures were abdominal paracentesis (34.8%) and thoracentesis (7.4%). Conclusion: POCUS frequently addressed symptom-directed concerns in palliative patients in the emergency department, commonly identifying fluid-related causes of distress and enabling bedside, symptom-relieving procedures. With appropriate training, governance, and prospective evaluation of patient-centered outcomes, POCUS has the potential to enhance acute supportive care for palliative patients across Thailand.
Keywords: Palliative Supportive Care1, ultrasonography2, Emergency Service3, Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures4, decision making5
Received: 06 Oct 2025; Accepted: 06 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ienghong, Apiratwarakul, Khemtong and Cheung. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Korakot Apiratwarakul, korakot@kku.ac.th
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