Summary

• POCUS can easily identify pericardial effusions with good sensitivity and specificity.
• Indications for performing PoCUS looking for pericardial effusion include blunt and penetrating trauma, chest pain, unexplained hemodynamic instability, or dyspnea.
• In the subxiphoid view free fluid is first visualized in the pericardium between the myocardium and liver.
• In the parasternal long axis, a pericardial effusion will be found between the heart and the descending aorta.