Background: Acute respiratory distress is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in critical care, particularly in resource-limited settings where access to conventional imaging is often delayed. Point-of-care lung ultrasound (POCUS) has emerged as a rapid, reproducible, and non-invasive bedside tool that enables early etiological assessment, guides timely therapeutic decisions, and may improve patient outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the effect of early POCUS on in-hospital mortality among patients admitted with acute respiratory distress to the intensive care unit of the Essos Hospital Center. Methods: We performed a prospective observational study in the intensive care unit of the Essos Hospital Center. All consecutive adult (≥18 years) patients admitted with acute respiratory distress over a 12-month period were included. Patients were stratified into two groups based on whether early point-of-care lung ultrasound (POCUS) was performed within the first hour of admission by a trained physician. Demographic, clinical, echocardiographic, diagnostic, and outcome data were collected prospectively. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes included time to definitive diagnosis and identification of the primary etiology.