Sonography of the lungs and pleura

The role of Transthoracic Sonography in the evaluation of chest diseases has already been accepted throughout the world. Though Ultrasound [US] is not widely established as a routine method, but the advantages of low-cost, bedside availability and lack of ionizing radiation exposure has made it an indispensable diagnostic tool in the modern pulmonary medicine. US supplements the conventional chest X-ray and computed tomography and closes the gap between them. Besides, it is invaluable in the interventional procedures of chest and pleural space and it is suited to critically ill patients in need of bedside investigations. This article reviews the sono-graphic morphology of the pleural and peripheral pulmonary diseases

Role of ultrasound in the Evaluation of Blunt Abdominal Trauma

This article provides an overview of the recent literature and research work about the growing role of ultrasound in assisting Emergency Physicians, Radiologists and Trauma Surgeons to make timely decision for the unstable patients with blunt abdominal trauma. Ultrasonography [US] in the evaluation of blunt trauma is now an accepted practice in the emergency departments. The main focus of the examination is detection of free fluid in the abdomen secondary to injury of the abdominal organs. The trauma patients in unstable condition and in whom significant free fluid is detected on US are immediately taken to the operating room for surgical exploration without undergoing computed tomographic [CT] correlation. US is also used to identify the hematoma surrounding the injured organ. The solid organ injuries such as the liver, spleen and kidney are also detected. However, US has limited value in the contained parenchymal injuries and injuries to the diaphragm, pancreas, adrenal gland and some bowel injuries. Thus, negative findings at US do not exclude an intraperitoneal injury, and close clinical observation or CT is warranted