ABSTRACT
Despite the limitations (especially that ultrasound does not penetrate air containing lung tissue) ultrasound of the thorax is a very suitable method as a complementary or even primary diagnostic tool. Bedside availability and no radiation exposure are real advantages. However we always have to keep in mind that we are blind for deeper lung processes that do not have contact to the visceral pleura.This article illustrates where and how to look for pathologies and what we have to expect in patients. According to symptoms such as dyspnea, dyspnea with fever and thorax pain with and without trauma, the sonographic morphology of important illnesses in emergency situation are described. The use of ultrasound can help to distinguish between differential diagnosis such as acute exacerbation of COPD vs. heart failure, pleuritis vs. pulmonary embolism, rip fracture vs. "simple" bone contusion and blunt chest trauma with or without pneumothorax.
Subject(s)
Critical Care , Emergency Medical Services , Pneumothorax/diagnostic imaging , Thoracic Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
Diagnostic ultrasound is without doubt the imaging technique of choice in patients with acute abdominal pain. Point-of-care ultrasound examinations can help to reduce the number of possible differential diagnoses by exclusion or - as a best case scenario - show us directly the correct diagnosis. Hence patients can benefit from a very early appropriate therapeutic approach. This article illustrates where and how we should "look". After focusing on basic technical settings, typical pathological sonomorphologic changes in patients with some of the most important illnesses are characterized (e.â g. acute appendicitis, acute cholecystitis, acute diverticulitis, acute pancreatitis and urinary tract occlusion). Ultrasound beginners are the target group of this survey.
