Ten Influential Point-of-Care Ultrasound Papers: 2025 in Review.

This article summarizes ten influential recent studies on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) relevant to acute care clinicians, including emergency physicians and intensivists. Key topics include the prevalence and reversibility of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in septic shock, the utility of dynamic parameters for fluid responsiveness in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and the expanding role of transesophageal echocardiography during cardiac arrest. Additional studies address personalized hemodynamic resuscitation guided by capillary refill time, standardized lung ultrasound aeration scoring, and the diagnostic value of lung ultrasound for ventilator-associated pneumonia. The article also highlights the prognostic significance of the Venous Excess Ultrasound Grading System (VExUS) for kidney outcomes, the benefits of POCUS-guided resuscitation in shock, and the use of ultrasound to predict and manage weaning failure from mechanical ventilation. Collectively, these studies support the integration of focused ultrasound as a targeted, bedside tool to enhance diagnosis, guide therapy, and improve outcomes in critical care settings.