Bhasin-Chhabra B, Koratala A. Point of care ultrasonography in onco-nephrology: A stride toward better physical examination. World J Nephrol 2023; 12(2): 29-39 [PMID: 37035508 DOI: 10.5527/wjn.v12.i2.29]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Abhilash Koratala, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Nephrology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, 7th floor, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States. akoratala@mcw.edu
Research Domain of This Article
Critical Care Medicine
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Nephrol. Mar 25, 2023; 12(2): 29-39 Published online Mar 25, 2023. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v12.i2.29
Point of care ultrasonography in onco-nephrology: A stride toward better physical examination
Bhavna Bhasin-Chhabra, Abhilash Koratala
Bhavna Bhasin-Chhabra, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, United States
Abhilash Koratala, Division of Nephrology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States
Author contributions: Bhasin-Chhabra B drafted the initial version of the manuscript; Koratala A reviewed, and revised the manuscript for critical intellectual content; Both authors have read and approved the final version.
Supported byAbhilash Koratala reports research funding from KidneyCure and the American Society of Nephrology’s William and Sandra Bennett Clinical Scholars Grant.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Abhilash Koratala, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Nephrology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, 7th floor, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States. akoratala@mcw.edu
Received: December 28, 2022 Peer-review started: December 28, 2022 First decision: January 20, 2023 Revised: January 27, 2023 Accepted: March 9, 2023 Article in press: March 9, 2023 Published online: March 25, 2023 Processing time: 82 Days and 7.9 Hours
Abstract
Onco-Nephrology is an emerging subspecialty of Nephrology that focuses on a broad spectrum of renal disorders that can arise in patients with cancer. It encompasses acute kidney injury (AKI), complex fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base disorders, as well as chronic kidney disease caused or exacerbated by cancer and/or its treatment. In many such scenarios including AKI and hyponatremia, objective evaluation of hemodynamics is vital for appropriate management. Point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) is a limited ultrasound exam performed at the bedside and interpreted by the treating physician intended to answer focused clinical questions and guide therapy. Compared to conventional physical examination, POCUS offers substantially higher diagnostic accuracy for various structural and hemodynamic derangements. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of the utility of POCUS enhanced physical examination for the Onconephrologist supported by the current evidence and our experience-based opinion.
Core Tip: Point of care ultrasonography is a valuable adjunct to physical examination in patients with cancer and renal dysfunction or fluid/electrolyte disorders. It provides better diagnostic accuracy than conventional physical examination. Proper training is the key to effectively integrate this diagnostic tool into routine clinical practice.
