BACKGROUND Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is emerging as a reliable and valid clinical tool that impacts diagnosis and clinical decision-making as well as timely intervention for optimal patient management. This makes its utility in patients admitted to internal medicine wards attractive. However, there is still an evidence gap in all the medical setting of how its use affects clinical variables such as length of stay, morbidity, and mortality. METHODS/DESIGN A prospective randomized controlled trial assessing the effect of a surface POCUS of the heart, lungs, and femoral and popliteal veins performed by an internal medicine physician during the first 24 h of patient admission to the unit with a presumptive cardiopulmonary diagnosis. The University of Melbourne iHeartScan, iLungScan, and two-point venous compression protocols are followed to identify left and right ventricular function, significant valvular heart disease, pericardial and pleural effusion, consolidation, pulmonary edema, pneumothorax, and proximal deep venous thrombosis. Patient management is not commanded by the protocol and is at the discretion of the treating team. A total of 250 patients will be recruited at one tertiary hospital. Participants are randomized to receive POCUS or no POCUS. The primary outcome measured will be hospital length of stay. Secondary outcomes include the change in diagnosis and management, 30-day hospital readmission, and healthcare costs. DISCUSSION This study will evaluate the clinical impact of multi-organ POCUS in internal medicine patients admitted with cardiopulmonary diagnosis on the hospital length of stay. Recruitment of participants commenced in September 2018 and is estimated to be completed by March 2020. TRIAL REGISTRATION Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry, ACTRN12618001442291. Registered on 28 August 2018.

中文翻译：

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现场护理超声对入院时心肺诊断的内科住院病人住院时间的影响：一项随机对照试验的研究方案-IMFCU-1（内科医学重点临床超声）研究。

背景技术即时护理超声（POCUS）逐渐成为一种可靠且有效的临床工具，它影响诊断和临床决策以及及时干预以优化患者管理。这使得其在接受内科病房的患者中的应用具有吸引力。但是，在所有医学环境中，其使用如何影响临床变量（如住院时间，发病率和死亡率）仍存在证据空白。方法/设计一项前瞻性随机对照试验，评估了内科医师在患者入院前24小时内对心，肺以及股静脉和pop静脉的表面POCUS的影响，并进行了心肺功能推测。墨尔本大学iHeartScan，iLungScan，遵循两点静脉压迫方案，以识别左，右心室功能，明显的瓣膜性心脏病，心包和胸腔积液，巩固，肺水肿，气胸和近端深静脉血栓形成。规程不要求患者管理，由治疗团队自行决定。一家三级医院将招募总共250名患者。参与者被随机分配接受POCUS或不接受POCUS。衡量的主要结果将是住院时间。次要结果包括诊断和治疗方法的改变，30天的住院率和医疗费用。讨论本研究将评估多器官POCUS在接受心肺诊断的内科患者中对住院时间的临床影响。参加者的招募于2018年9月开始，预计于2020年3月完成。试验注册澳大利亚和新西兰临床试验注册中心，ACTRN12618001442291。2018年8月28日注册。