Emergency Medicine

NICOM is an ideal tool for emergency departments

Non-invasive, portable, and nurse driven NICOM may be used in challenging clinical situations.

Oftentimes, dyspnea- a common presenting symptom in the emergency department (ED) poses a significant diagnostic challenge especially in patients with concurrent chronic lung disease and congestive heart failure.

With a simple bedside hemodynamic challenge such as 250 ml saline bolus or Passive Leg Raise (PLR) the clinician can determine whether the dyspnea is due to acute decompensated heart failure or lung disease exacerbation.

Another useful differential diagnosis application of NICOM is between different shock etiologies.

The combined knowledge of response to PLR, total peripheral resistance (TPR), and clinical picture provides an easy to implement tool diagnosis.

Along with early antibiotic treatment, aggressive fluid administration is considered one of the main factors that determine survival.

The NICOM is an ideal tool for monitoring and guiding aggressive fluid administration in the ED.