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Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Inpatient Management in a Korean Medicine Hospital: Case Series

Article information

J Korean Med. 2025;46(2):170-176
Publication date (electronic) : 2025 June 1
doi : https://doi.org/10.13048/jkm.25026
Seung-Yun Oh1orcid_icon, Myungjin Oh2orcid_icon, Yoomin Choi1,orcid_icon
1Woosuk University Medical Center
2Keumkang Korean Medical Clinic
Correspondence to: Yoo-Min Choi, Woosuk University Korean Medicine Hospital, 46 Eoeun-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea 54987, Tel: +63-290-9025, E-mail: yoomin@woosuk.ac.kr
Received 2025 April 17; Revised 2025 May 8; Accepted 2025 May 22.

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to report the diagnostic role of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in evaluating diverse clinical symptoms in inpatients admitted to a Korean medicine hospital.

Methods

A retrospective case series was conducted on inpatients who underwent POCUS for symptom assessment during hospitalization at a Korean medicine hospital from 2023 to 2024. POCUS was performed by a Korean medicine doctor with over ten years of clinical and ultrasound experience. Ultrasound examinations were symptom-driven and carried out at the bedside.

Results

Four representative cases are presented. In a pancreatic cancer patient with recurrent vomiting, upper abdominal ultrasound revealed gastric food retention. In a gastric cancer patient with peritoneal metastasis, ascites was visualized around the liver and bowel. Bladder ultrasound in a lymphoma patient with dysuria demonstrated significant residual urine. Soft tissue ultrasound in another lymphoma patient confirmed cellulitis following an inguinal lymph node biopsy. In all cases, POCUS enabled prompt symptom evaluation and guided clinical decision-making, with findings consistent with subsequent imaging or clinical outcomes.

Conclusions

POCUS is a valuable diagnostic tool for bedside assessment in Korean medicine inpatients. It complements traditional diagnostic methods and enhances clinical responsiveness through real-time visualization of pathological findings.

Keywords: Ultrasonography; Point-of-Care Testing; Korean Medicine; Case reports
Fig. 1

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound of repeated vomiting in stage IV pancreatic cancer.

[A] A yellow dotted line indicates the boundary of the gastric wall. Despite fasting, the stomach appears filled with food, showing peristalsis but no evidence of food passage. [B] Abdominal CT reveals gastric dilation and food retention. The dotted trapezoidal line indicates the ultrasound scanning area.

Fig. 2

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound of ascites around the liver (A) and peritoneum (B) in stage IV gastric cancer.

Fig. 3

Point-of-Care Ultrasound for dysuria. Sagittal image of the bladder. [A] Bladder distension before voiding. [B] Residual urine after voiding.

Fig. 4

Point-of-care Ultrasound of cellulitis following an inguinal lymph node biopsy

[A] Initial ultrasound findings show characteristic features of cellulitis, including hyperechoic, cobblestone-like fat lobules and hypoechoic areas filled with exudates. [B] Normalized ultrasound image after 10 weeks of follow-up.

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Article information Continued

Fig. 1

Fig. 1

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound of repeated vomiting in stage IV pancreatic cancer.

[A] A yellow dotted line indicates the boundary of the gastric wall. Despite fasting, the stomach appears filled with food, showing peristalsis but no evidence of food passage. [B] Abdominal CT reveals gastric dilation and food retention. The dotted trapezoidal line indicates the ultrasound scanning area.

Fig. 2

Fig. 2

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound of ascites around the liver (A) and peritoneum (B) in stage IV gastric cancer.

Fig. 3

Fig. 3

Point-of-Care Ultrasound for dysuria. Sagittal image of the bladder. [A] Bladder distension before voiding. [B] Residual urine after voiding.

Fig. 4

Fig. 4

Point-of-care Ultrasound of cellulitis following an inguinal lymph node biopsy

[A] Initial ultrasound findings show characteristic features of cellulitis, including hyperechoic, cobblestone-like fat lobules and hypoechoic areas filled with exudates. [B] Normalized ultrasound image after 10 weeks of follow-up.