THORACIC AND LUNG ULTRASOUND

Course overview

THORACIC ULTRASOUND HAS RAPIDLY GAINED POPULARITY OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. THIS IS IN PART BECAUSE ULTRASOUND EQUIPMENT IS AVAILABLE IN MANY SETTINGS, MORE TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE EDUCATING TRAINEES ON POINT OF CARE ULTRASOUND (POCUS), AND ULTRASOUND CAN BE DONE RAPIDLY WITHOUT EXPOSURE TO RADIATION OR CONTRAST. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN EQUIVALENT OR EVEN IMPROVED SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF POCUS COMPARED WITH CONVENTIONAL CHEST RADIOGRAPHY, AND BEDSIDE ULTRASOUNDS MAY AID IN DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN PATHOLOGIES THAT CONVENTIONAL RADIOGRAPHS CANNOT. FOLLOWING TRAUMA, THORACIC ULTRASOUND CAN ASSIST WITH DIAGNOSING PNEUMOTHORAX, HEMOTHORAX, RIB FRACTURES, PULMONARY CONTUSIONS, AND CHEST WALL HEMATOMAS. NON-TRAUMATIC USES FOR THORACIC ULTRASOUND INCLUDE EVALUATION FOR PLEURAL EFFUSIONS, INFECTIONS SUCH AS PNEUMONIA OR EMPYEMA, PULMONARY EDEMA, CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE, PULMONARY EMBOLISM, AND ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, AND TECHNIQUE INVOLVED IN PERFORMING THORACIC ULTRASOUND AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE CARE OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING THIS PROCEDURE.