171655 20260527123126.0 doi 10.1007/s11739-026-04359-1 sideral 149389 ART-2026-149389 eng López Palmero, Serafín Diagnostic accuracy and clinical impact of internist-performed point-of-care ultrasound in atrial fibrillation: a multicenter study 2026 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is highly prevalent in internal medicine and often requires timely echocardiographic assessment. Limited availability of standard studies may delay management, particularly in acute or resource-limited settings. We conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional study across 35 Spanish hospitals, enrolling adults with new-onset or chronic AF without echocardiography in the previous 12 months, comparing internist-performed point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) with blinded cardiologist-performed transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography (TTE/TEE) as the reference standard. The primary outcome was diagnostic accuracy for structural abnormalities. Secondary outcomes included comparison with auscultation and the clinical impact of POCUS findings. Among 441 patients (mean age 80.4 ± 9.9 years; 51% women), POCUS showed good diagnostic accuracy for left ventricular (LV) dilation (sensitivity 83%, specificity 94%) and LV systolic dysfunction (sensitivity 81%, specificity 94%), and moderate accuracy for left atrial (LA) enlargement (sensitivity 91%, specificity 64%). Compared with auscultation, POCUS was significantly more accurate for detecting mitral and tricuspid disease. POCUS findings frequently prompted therapeutic adjustments, including anticoagulation in mitral stenosis, individualized rate-control strategies in LV dysfunction, diuretic titration in congestion, and referral for significant valvular disease. Pericardial effusion, though less common, strongly influenced management. Internist-performed POCUS demonstrated robust diagnostic performance in AF and directly informed bedside therapeutic decisions. Although it does not replace comprehensive echocardiography, particularly for detailed valvular assessment, it represents a valuable extension of the physical examination and may improve timely and equitable cardiac evaluation. info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess All rights reserved http://www.europeana.eu/rights/rr-f/ info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion García Torrecillas, Juan Manuel López Martín, José María Rodilla Sala, Enrique Rodríguez Rodríguez, María Elena Gómez Huelgas, Ricardo Alguacil Muñoz, Ana María Ruiz Ortega, Raúl Antonio Ateka Barrutia, Oier Martínez, López Ginés Marín Gámez, Nicasio García de Casasola Sánchez, Gonzalo Salillas Hernando, Juan Moreno Fernández, Alberto Rubio Gracia, Jorge Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-4769-7154 Torres Arrese, Marta Machín Lázaro, José Manuel Benavente Fernández, Alberto Cabrera García, Pablo Nadal Gómez, Paula Vázquez Suárez, Ana Beatriz Briongos Figuero, Laisa Socorro García Rubio, Samuel Parrón Carreño, Tesifón Yale, Tung-Chen 1007 610 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Medicina, Psiqu. y Derm. Area Medicina (2026), [12 pp.] Internal and Emergency Medicine Internal and Emergency Medicine 1828-0447 1329752 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/171655/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 2432383 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/171655/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:171655 articulos driver 2026-05-27-11:25:52 ARTICLE