In this study, the identification of the etiology of shock by Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) was characterized by high sensitivity and a positive likelihood ratio, especially for obstructive shock.

Hence, these findings should be considered in future diagnostic protocols for shock using POCUS.

However, since this study only examined the diagnostic aspect, further interventional studies are necessary to assess the true impact of POCUS on shock patients.

This systematic review included 12 studies with 1132 patients with shock and evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS in diagnosing the etiology.

Compared to the previous systematic review that addressed the same topic, this review, which was updated with an expanded population, was able to incorporate more studies and thus present a narrower confidence interval for each diagnostic accuracy.

In addition, the various subgroup analyses confirmed the characteristics of the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS for shock patients.

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