European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Stethoscope versus point-of-care ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of dyspnea: a randomized trial.
We aimed to determine the accuracies of point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) and stethoscopes as part of the physical examinations of patients with dyspnea. Three emergency medicine specialists in each of two groups of ultrasound and stethoscope performers underwent didactic and hands-on training on PoCUS and stethoscope usage. ⋯ No significant differences were observed in the utility parameters of these modalities in these diagnoses. Although some authors argue that it is time to abandon the 'archaic tools' of past centuries, we believe that it is too early to discontinue the use of the stethoscope.