Point-of-care ultrasound devices can shorten hospital stays and reduce costs for patients admitted with shortness of breath, according to a Sept. 5 study in JAMA Network Open.
In a 200-patient trial, ultrasound-guided diagnoses reduced average length of stay by 3.6 days and cut total hospitalization costs by more than $750,000. The technology changed clinical decisions in 35% of cases and outperformed traditional stethoscope exams.
