{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T13:40:27Z","timestamp":1790602827319,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773964800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Cardiac arrest is defined as the sudden loss of heart activity, resulting in ineffective breathing and blood circulation. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) provides real-time, evidence-based information during resuscitation and enables rapid identification of reversible conditions to guide ongoing resuscitative efforts. This mini-review focuses on the utility of POCUS during cardiac arrest, including its role in non-shockable rhythms such as pulseless electrical activity, pseudo-PEA, and asystole, where electrocardiographic findings alone may be misleading. POCUS can assist in the identification of reversible causes, including cardiac tamponade, massive pulmonary embolism, and tension pneumothorax. The review also addresses the role of serial ultrasound in monitoring cardiac activity and guiding advanced resuscitation, while emphasizing that ultrasound should not be used as the sole criterion for termination of resuscitation. We have also reviewed the practical aspects of performing POCUS during cardiac arrest, including probe selection, obtaining useful views, and strategies to minimize interruptions to chest compressions. Structured approaches such as the Cardiac Arrest Sonographic Assessment protocol are discussed to support efficient image acquisition within the 10-s pulse-check window.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1795346","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T06:39:08Z","timestamp":1773988748000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Point-of-care-ultrasound in cardiac arrest: a useful tool for resuscitation"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Anandu Mathews","family":"Anto","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"BronxCare Health System","place":["New York, NY, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nismat","family":"Javed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BronxCare Health System","place":["New York, NY, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rahul Reddy","family":"Nallapareddy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BronxCare Health System","place":["New York, NY, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shivani","family":"Jani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BronxCare Health System","place":["New York, NY, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Misbahuddin","family":"Khaja","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BronxCare Health System","place":["New York, NY, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1593","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra1916062","article-title":"Point-of-care ultrasonography","volume":"385","author":"D\u00edaz-G\u00f3mez","year":"2021","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1200","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2019.1696","article-title":"In-hospital cardiac arrest: a review","volume":"321","author":"Andersen","year":"2019","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"371","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajem.2019.158503","article-title":"Pseudo-pulseless electrical activity in the emergency department, an evidence based approach","volume":"38","author":"Rabjohns","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am J Emerg Med"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S150","DOI":"10.1097\/01.CCM.0000260626.23848.FC","article-title":"Focused echocardiographic evaluation in resuscitation management: concept of an advanced life support-conformed algorithm","volume":"35","author":"Breitkreutz","year":"2007","journal-title":"Crit Care Med"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S284","DOI":"10.1161\/CIR.0000000000001372","article-title":"Part 1: executive summary: 2025 American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care","volume":"152","author":"Del Rios","year":"2025","journal-title":"Circulation"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1016\/j.resuscitation.2016.09.018","article-title":"Emergency department point-of-care ultrasound in out-of-hospital and in-ED cardiac arrest","volume":"109","author":"Gaspari","year":"2016","journal-title":"Resuscitation"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1186\/s13049-025-01447-7","article-title":"The role of serial point-of-care ultrasound during cardiac arrest to predict termination of resuscitation","volume":"33","author":"Heydari","year":"2025","journal-title":"Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1186\/s13089-023-00346-1","article-title":"The role of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) imaging in clinical outcomes during cardiac arrest: a systematic review","volume":"16","author":"Zaki","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ultrasound J"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2213","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics14192213","article-title":"Is it possible to detect return of spontaneous circulation during chest compression? Evaluation of a novel method: carotid artery compression ultrasound","volume":"14","author":"Kanter","year":"2024","journal-title":"Diagnostics (Basel)"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"648","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jemermed.2021.10.032","article-title":"A Multicenter, prospective study comparing subxiphoid and parasternal views during brief echocardiography: effect on image quality, acquisition time, and visualized anatomy","volume":"62","author":"Gaspari","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Emerg Med"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.1016\/j.resuscitation.2018.07.030","article-title":"Implementation of the cardiac arrest sonographic assessment (CASA) protocol for patients with cardiac arrest is associated with shorter CPR pulse checks","volume":"131","author":"Clattenburg","year":"2018","journal-title":"Resuscitation"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S538","DOI":"10.1161\/CIR.0000000000001376","article-title":"Part 9: adult advanced life support: 2025 American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care","volume":"152","author":"Wigginton","year":"2025","journal-title":"Circulation"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e695","DOI":"10.1097\/CCM.0000000000002334","article-title":"Detection of pulmonary embolism during cardiac arrest-ultrasonographic findings should be interpreted with caution","volume":"45","author":"Aagaard","year":"2017","journal-title":"Crit Care Med"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"603","DOI":"10.1097\/MCC.0000000000000766","article-title":"Point-of-care cardiac ultrasound during cardiac arrest: a reliable tool for termination of resuscitation?","volume":"26","author":"Reynolds","year":"2020","journal-title":"Curr Opin Crit Care"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.1016\/j.resuscitation.2020.05.004","article-title":"Prognostication with point-of-care echocardiography during cardiac arrest: a systematic review","volume":"152","author":"Reynolds","year":"2020","journal-title":"Resuscitation"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1795346\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T06:39:08Z","timestamp":1773988748000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1795346\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]]},"references-count":15,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fmed.2026.1795346"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1795346","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-858X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-858X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]]},"article-number":"1795346"}}