Point-of-Care Ultrasound Use in Confirmed Acute Aortic Syndrome: A Five-Year Retrospective Cohort Study at the Ljubljana Emergency Medical Unit

Background/Objectives: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly used in emergency care, but data on its use in acute aortic syndrome (AAS) remains limited. This single-center retrospective cohort described POCUS use among patients with confirmed AAS and explored factors associated with POCUS use and time to completion of diagnostic workup.

Methods

Records coded ICD10 I71.0-I71.8 from the Emergency Medical Unit, University Medical Centre Ljubljana (2019-2023) were reviewed. Clinical, imaging, and outcome data were extracted, and diagnoses were confirmed by two investigators through manual chart review of ED documentation, radiology reports, and specialist consultation notes. Fisher's exact and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used for comparisons. Associations with POCUS use and time to completion of diagnostic workup (defined from arrival at triage to completion of the emergency department workup) were assessed with univariable logistic regression and linear regression models, respectively. Survival was explored using univariable Cox proportional-hazards models. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.