Heart FailurePOCUSHFNCT06965712
Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) to Reduce Hospital Length of Stay in Patients With Heart Failure ( POCUSHF )
A study testing Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in people with Heart Failure and Decompensated Heart Failure, run by Florida International University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will evaluate whether using bedside ultrasound (also called Point-of-Care Ultrasound or POCUS) can help improve the care of hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Heart Failure, Decompensated Heart Failure, Hospital Length of Stay
- What is being tested?
- Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 66 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 24 Nov 2025to 10 Jul 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults aged 18 years and older.
- Hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of decompensated heart failure (left, right, or biventricular).
- Evidence of volume overload or congestion based on Framingham criteria, clinical examination, elevated proBNP (>1000 pg/mL), or chest X-ray showing pulmonary edema.
- Ability to undergo bedside ultrasound evaluation (POCUS) as clinically feasible.
- Able to provide informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Age under 18 years.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
- Terminal illness with life expectancy < 30 days.
- Inability to obtain ultrasound images due to body habitus or other technical reasons.
- Enrollment in another interventional clinical trial that could interfere with the outcomes of this study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) to Guide Fluid Management and Reduce Hospital Length of Stay in Patients With Decompensated Heart Failure
This study will evaluate whether using bedside ultrasound (also called Point-of-Care Ultrasound or POCUS) can help improve the care of hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure. Patients will be randomly assigned to two groups: one group will receive ultrasound-guided assessments, and the other group will receive standard clinical evaluations. Researchers will compare the hospital length of stay between the two groups. Ultrasound is a non-invasive, safe, and painless imaging tool. The goal of the study is to find out if ultrasound guidance can lead to shorter hospitalizations and better care for patients with heart failure.
Read the detailed description
This clinical trial aims to determine whether the use of bedside ultrasound (also called Point-of-Care Ultrasound, or POCUS) can improve the management of patients hospitalized with decompensated heart failure. Traditional methods for assessing heart failure patients rely heavily on physical examination and imaging tests such as chest X-rays, which may not always accurately reflect a patient's volume status. POCUS provides real-time information at the bedside, allowing clinicians to assess lung congestion and venous volume status quickly and non-invasively.
Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group will undergo POCUS assessments of the lungs and inferior vena cava (IVC) twice during their hospitalization: once within 24 hours of admission and once before discharge. The control group will receive standard clinical care without ultrasound guidance. All participants' clinical information, including length of hospital stay, treatments administered, and 30-day readmission status, will be collected and analyzed.
The primary objective is to determine whether POCUS-guided management leads to a reduction in hospital length of stay. Secondary objectives include evaluating whether ultrasound guidance affects 30-day readmission rates and diuretic therapy adjustments. The study is expected to enroll approximately 66 patients.
This research may help establish whether POCUS can be incorporated into standard care practices for hospitalized heart failure patients, potentially leading to better outcomes and more efficient use of hospital resources.
- Being tested
- Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
- Keywords
- Heart Failure, Decompensated Heart Failure, Point-of-Care Ultrasound, POCUS, Hospital Length of Stay, Ultrasound-Guided Therapy, Lung Ultrasound, Inferior Vena Cava Ultrasound, Volume Status Assessment, Readmission Prevention
- Medical subject headings
- Heart Failure
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)Device
Participants assigned to this group will receive Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) evaluations of the lungs and inferior vena cava (IVC) during their hospital stay. The ultrasound will be performed twice: once within 24 hours of hospital admission and once prior to hospital discharge. The POCUS findings will be used to guide clinical management decisions regarding fluid status and decongestion therapy in patients with decompensated heart failure. The procedure is non-invasive, radiation-free, and performed at the bedside.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| POCUS-Guided Evaluation Group | Experimental | Participants in this group will receive bedside Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) evaluations of the lungs and inferior vena cava (IVC) twice during hospitalization, once within 24 hours of admission and once prior to discharge. Ultrasound findings will be used to guide fluid management decisions. Receives: Device: Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) |
| Standard Clinical Evaluation Group | No intervention | Participants in this group will receive standard clinical care without bedside ultrasound guidance. Clinical evaluation and management will be based on physical examination, chest X-rays, laboratory results, and physician judgment. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Hospital Length of Stay (LOS)
Hospital Length of Stay (LOS) will be measured as the number of days from hospital admission to discharge decision. LOS will be compared between the POCUS-guided group and the standard care group.
Measured: From the date of hospital admission to the date of discharge order, assessed up to 30 days.
Secondary outcomes (1)
30-Day Hospital Readmission Rate
The proportion of patients readmitted to any hospital for any cause within 30 days after discharge will be recorded and compared between the POCUS-guided group and the standard care group.
Measured: Within 30 days after hospital discharge
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted11 May 2025
- Study start24 Nov 2025
- Primary completion10 Jul 2026
- Study completion10 Jul 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Heart FailureStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either a Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)-guided evaluation group or a standard clinical evaluation group. Participants in each group will remain in their assigned arm throughout the duration of their hospital stay. The study is designed as a parallel assignment model without crossover between groups.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 66 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Florida International University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- GUILLERMO IZQUIERDO PRETEL, MD, Principal investigator, Florida International University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06965712
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 25-0179
- Acronym
- POCUSHF
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 30 Apr 2025
- Last updated
- 20 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: I am running a single-center investigator-initiated study. I am not creating a formal public repository for the individual patient data. At this stage, I am focused on analyzing your results internally (not distributing patient-level data to outside researchers).
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) to Guide Fluid Management and Reduce Hospital Length of Stay in Patients With Decompensated Heart Failure
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06965712
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- POCUSHF / 25-0179
- Keywords
- Heart Failure, Decompensated Heart Failure, Point-of-Care Ultrasound, POCUS, Hospital Length of Stay, Ultrasound-Guided Therapy, Lung Ultrasound, Inferior Vena Cava Ultrasound
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 66 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Florida International UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 24 Nov 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 10 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 10 Jul 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 11 May 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will evaluate whether using bedside ultrasound (also called Point-of-Care Ultrasound or POCUS) can help improve the care of hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure. Patients will be randomly assigned to two groups: one group will receive ultrasound-guided assessments, and the other group will receive standard clinical evaluations. Researchers will compare the hospital length of stay between the two groups. Ultrasound is a non-invasive, safe, and painless imaging tool. The goal of the study is to find out if ultrasound guidance can lead to shorter hospitalizations and better care for patients with heart failure.
Detailed description
This clinical trial aims to determine whether the use of bedside ultrasound (also called Point-of-Care Ultrasound, or POCUS) can improve the management of patients hospitalized with decompensated heart failure. Traditional methods for assessing heart failure patients rely heavily on physical examination and imaging tests such as chest X-rays, which may not always accurately reflect a patient's volume status. POCUS provides real-time information at the bedside, allowing clinicians to assess lung congestion and venous volume status quickly and non-invasively.
Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group will undergo POCUS assessments of the lungs and inferior vena cava (IVC) twice during their hospitalization: once within 24 hours of admission and once before discharge. The control group will receive standard clinical care without ultrasound guidance. All participants' clinical information, including length of hospital stay, treatments administered, and 30-day readmission status, will be collected and analyzed.
The primary objective is to determine whether POCUS-guided management leads to a reduction in hospital length of stay. Secondary objectives include evaluating whether ultrasound guidance affects 30-day readmission rates and diuretic therapy adjustments. The study is expected to enroll approximately 66 patients.
This research may help establish whether POCUS can be incorporated into standard care practices for hospitalized heart failure patients, potentially leading to better outcomes and more efficient use of hospital resources.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either a Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)-guided evaluation group or a standard clinical evaluation group. Participants in each group will remain in their assigned arm throughout the duration of their hospital stay. The study is designed as a parallel assignment model without crossover between groups.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| POCUS-Guided Evaluation Group | Experimental | Device: Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)Participants in this group will receive bedside Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) evaluations of the lungs and inferior vena cava (IVC) twice during hospitalization, once within 24 hours of admission and once prior to discharge. Ultrasound findings will be used to guide fluid management decisions. |
| Standard Clinical Evaluation Group | No intervention | –Participants in this group will receive standard clinical care without bedside ultrasound guidance. Clinical evaluation and management will be based on physical examination, chest X-rays, laboratory results, and physician judgment. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Adults aged 18 years and older.
- Hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of decompensated heart failure (left, right, or biventricular).
- Evidence of volume overload or congestion based on Framingham criteria, clinical examination, elevated proBNP (>1000 pg/mL), or chest X-ray showing pulmonary edema.
- Ability to undergo bedside ultrasound evaluation (POCUS) as clinically feasible.
- Able to provide informed consent.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age under 18 years.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
- Terminal illness with life expectancy < 30 days.
- Inability to obtain ultrasound images due to body habitus or other technical reasons.
- Enrollment in another interventional clinical trial that could interfere with the outcomes of this study.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)Participants assigned to this group will receive Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) evaluations of the lungs and inferior vena cava (IVC) during their hospital stay. The ultrasound will be performed twice: once within 24 hours of hospital admission and once prior to hospital discharge. The POCUS findings will be used to guide clinical management decisions regarding fluid status and decongestion therapy in patients with decompensated heart failure. The procedure is non-invasive, radiation-free, and performed at the bedside. | Device | POCUS-Guided Evaluation Group |
Primary outcome
Hospital Length of Stay (LOS)
Time frame: From the date of hospital admission to the date of discharge order, assessed up to 30 days.
Hospital Length of Stay (LOS) will be measured as the number of days from hospital admission to discharge decision. LOS will be compared between the POCUS-guided group and the standard care group.
1 secondary outcome
30-Day Hospital Readmission Rate
Time frame: Within 30 days after hospital discharge
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. I am running a single-center investigator-initiated study. I am not creating a formal public repository for the individual patient data. At this stage, I am focused on analyzing your results internally (not distributing patient-level data to outside researchers).
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
GUILLERMO IZQUIERDO PRETEL, MD principal investigator
Florida International University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in people with Heart Failure and Decompensated Heart Failure, run by Florida International University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Hospital Length of Stay (LOS) (time frame: From the date of hospital admission to the date of discharge order, assessed up to 30 days.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Jul 2026.