Role of ultrasound in acute respiratory failure and in the weaning of mechanical ventilation

ABSTRACT

Comprehensive ultrasound assessment has become an essential tool to facilitate diagnosis and therapeutic management in critically ill patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF). There is evidence supporting the use of ultrasound for the diagnosis of pneumothorax, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, pneumonia, acute pulmonary thromboembolism, and the patient with COVID-19. In addition, in recent years, the use of ultrasound to evaluate response to treatments in critically ill patients with ARF has been developed, providing a non-invasive tool for titrating positive end-expiratory pressure, monitoring recruitment maneuvers and response to prone, as well as to facilitate weaning from mechanical ventilation. The objective of this review is to summarize the basic concepts on the utility of ultrasound in the diagnosis and monitoring of critically ill patients with ARF.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC