Instant Heart Failure Diagnosis Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in a Patient Incorrectly Diagnosed With Asthma

Congestive heart failure is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in the United States, yet it often goes undetected due to the poor sensitivity of chest X-rays for detecting pulmonary edema. In this case, a patient presented with one year of shortness of breath and a diagnosis of asthma; however, a three-minute point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) exam revealed that the correct diagnosis was in fact congestive heart failure. This highlights the importance of incorporating POCUS into the physical exam of any patient presenting with cardiopulmonary symptoms.