Clinical Practice Guidelines for Emergency and POCUS Ultrasound

The miniaturization of diagnostic ultrasound scanners has facilitated their bedside use, making ultrasonography an indispensable tool in emergency medicine. Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS), performed by medical personnel using focused approaches at the bedside, plays a critical role in clinical decision-making and improving invasive procedures. While POCUS is widely embraced globally, formal clinical guidance for its application in Japan has been limited, with exceptions like focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) and ultrasound-guided central venous cannulation. Recognizing this gap, the Committee for the Promotion of POCUS within the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine (JAAM) developed the “Clinical Guidance for Emergency and Point-of-Care Ultrasonography,” endorsed by JAAM. This guidance addresses the foundational principles of ultrasound, including airway, chest, cardiac, abdominal, and deep venous ultrasound, as well as ultrasound-guided procedures and symptom-based applications. It also highlights additional emerging applications that may become core components in the future. The guidance aims to improve acute care quality by providing a framework for integrating POCUS into clinical practice, supported by evidence from published research. It serves as a comprehensive resource for emergency ultrasound education, offering acute care physicians a structured approach to harnessing ultrasound effectively in diverse clinical scenarios. By addressing both current and potential future applications, the guidance lays a foundation for advancing the use of ultrasonography in emergency settings across Japan. This initiative seeks to enhance patient care, streamline invasive procedures, and equip physicians with essential skills for acute care management using POCUS.