2021 Volume 28 Issue 5 Pages 419-428
Two types of cardiac ultrasound examinations are adopted in the field of intensive care: focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS), which is performed for a limited number of critical cardiac conditions, as a point-of-care ultrasound, and comprehensive echocardiography, which is performed using a comprehensive protocol and is aimed at diagnosing a wide spectrum of cardiac conditions. As FoCUS is often performed by general intensivists and not necessarily cardiologists, it is important to know not only the purpose and protocol of FoCUS, but also the limitations of FoCUS and the specific conditions for which comprehensive echocardiography is indicated for avoiding misdiagnosis by FoCUS. This review provides an overview of and the limitations of FoCUS and a comparison between FoCUS and comprehensive echocardiography.
