• Alia Hamad, Carrie Ng, Kiyetta Alade, Beth D'Amico, Liliana Morales-Perez, Jack Price, and Stephanie K Leung.
• Department of Pediatrics, Section of Emergency Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
• J Emerg Med. 2021 Sep 1; 61 (3): e18-e25.

BackgroundAcute heart failure (AHF) in children is associated with significant disease burden with high rates of morbidity, mortality, and resource utilization. These children often present to the emergency department with clinical features that mimic common childhood illnesses. Cardiac point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can be an effective tool for rapidly identifying abnormal cardiac function.Case ReportsThis case series documents 10 children presenting with AHF between 2016 and 2019 and demonstrates how pediatric emergency physicians used cardiac POCUS to expedite their diagnosis, management, and disposition. All cardiac POCUS was performed before comprehensive echocardiograms were completed. One case is described in detail; the other cases are summarized in a Table. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Early recognition of AHF is critical to reduce pediatric morbidity and mortality. With proper training, cardiac POCUS can be an effective adjunct and should be considered for the early diagnosis and treatment of infants and children with AHF.Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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