Point-of-care ultrasound to evaluate volume status in congestive heart failure.

An accurate volume status assessment is critical to the diagnosis and management of congestive heart failure. Clinically, volume status is typically assessed using a combination of physical examination findings, laboratory values, imaging studies, and invasive procedures. However, these techniques may be unreliable, cost-prohibitive, or impractical. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has the potential to improve the accuracy of volume assessments with little additional cost to the patient. This review summarizes POCUS techniques that can be used to determine volume status in patients with congestive heart failure.