A middle-aged woman admitted to the hospital for congestive heart failure began having fevers. Blood cultures, urinalysis, and chest imaging were all negative for infection. The following morning, she developed pain and tenderness in her right cubital fossa at the site of a prior IV. On exam, it is erythematous, tender to touch and firm. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) exam revealed the following: Thrombophlebitis is a condition in which a blood clot forms within a vein and triggers...

from The New England Journal of Medicine It has long been known that carotid sinus massage can terminate supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). This is due to the fact that the carotid sinus, which sits at the bifurcation of the common carotid artery into the internal and external carotid arteries, contains stretch-sensitive baroreceptors. When they are externally compressed during carotid massage, they send signals to the brain, which increases vagal outflow to the heart. The vagus nerve...

The POCUS Textbook is officially released! As of September 15th, 2025, the Kindle version is available on Amazon for purchase . We spent...