ABSTRACT
Tras su descripción hace largo tiempo, el ultrasonido derivó hacia aplicaciones prácticas, entre ellas el diagnóstico médico. Las innovaciones tecnológicas continuas, incluyendo el Doppler, aumentaron tanto el rango de órganos interrogados como los diagnósticos diferenciales, mejorando el resultado de la atención médica global. En Chile, los pioneros de fines de los años 70 y sus continuadores situaron al US en su estado actual, validado y aceptado como herramienta diagnóstica. Para ampliar su utilización en forma adecuada, deberíamos actuar coordinadamente con las autoridades del sector salud en busca de suplir falencias para mejorar la accesibilidad y oportunidad de la población que aún no la tiene.
Subject(s)
History, 18th Century , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , History, 21st Century , Ultrasonography , Chile , History of Medicine , Medical Laboratory Science , Radiology/history , Radiology/trendsABSTRACT
Background: Soft tissue foreign bodies are a frequent cause of consultation in emergency rooms. It is difficult to verify their existence since conventional radiology only detects radio opaque objects. Ultrasound can be a useful diagnostic procedure. Aim: To report our experience in the detection of soft tissue foreign bodies by ultrasound examination. Patients and methods: The ultrasonographic appearance of vegetables, glass and plastic, metal, bone and stones was studied in gelatin preparations. In a second stage, 52 patients (27 male, aged 3 to 88 years old) were studied, in whom the presence of a soft tissue foreign body was confirmed surgically. Results: The mean error of the procedure for the assessment of foreign body size was 0.2 mm in vitro and 0.5 mm in vivo. The deepness and involved planes were correctly diagnosed in 96 percent, the number of fragments were diagnosed correctly in 94 percent of cases. The type of foreign body was identified correctly in 77 percent of cases and complications were detected in 100 percent of cases. Conclusions: Ultrasound is a sensitive and accurate method for the detection of soft tissue foreign bodies