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Background The purpose of this study is to provide evidence-based and expert consensus recommendations for lung ultrasound with focus on emergency and critical care settings. Methods A multidisciplinary panel of 28 experts from eight countries was involved. Literature was reviewed from January 1966 to June 2011. Consensus members searched multiple databases including Pubmed, Medline, OVID, Embase, and others. The process used to develop these evidence-based recommendations involved two phases: determining the level of quality of evidence and developing the recommendation . The quality of evidence is assessed by the grading of recommendation, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) method. However, the GRADE system does not enforce a specific method on how the panel should reach decisions during the consensus process. Our methodology committee decided to utilize the RAND appropriateness method for panel judgment and decisions/consensus. Results Seventy-three proposed statements were examined and discussed in three conferences held in Bologna, Pisa, and Rome. Each conference included two rounds of face-to-face modified Delphi technique. Anonymous panel voting followed each round. The panel did not reach an agreement and therefore did not adopt any recommendations for six statements. Weak/conditional recommendations were made for 2 statements, and strong recommendations were made for the remaining 65 statements. The statements were then recategorized and grouped to their current format. Internal and external peer-review processes took place before submission of the recommendations. Updates will occur at least every 4 years or whenever significant major changes in evidence appear. Conclusions This document reflects the overall results of the first consensus conference on “point-of-care” lung ultrasound. Statements were discussed and elaborated by experts who published the vast majority of papers on clinical use of lung ultrasound in the last 20 years. Recommendations were produced to guide implementation, development, and standardization of lung ultrasound in all relevant settings.

BackgroundThe aims of this study were to examine the association between emergency department (ED) providers' experience with bedside ultrasound after achieving credentialing for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) sonography, and their successful visualisation rate of the abdominal aorta among consecutive patients who presented asymptomatically but with risk factors for AAA.MethodsStudy coordinators enrolled asymptomatic men >50 years presenting to a single ED with AAA risk factors. One of 20 AAA credentialed ED sonographers screened each subject for AAA. Screening forms and ultrasound images were reviewed for quality assurance. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate OR of visualisation and correct measurement among providers with varying experience, adjusted for bowel gas and body mass index (BMI).ResultsDuring the 12 week enrolment, 278 patients were eligible and 196 (70%) enrolled. ED sonographers accurately visualised the entire abdominal aorta of 140 subjects (71.4%), did not completely visualise 40 (20.4%) and incorrectly measured 16 (8.2%). After controlling for bowel gas and BMI, providers with <1 year of experience (OR 6.7, 95% CI 2.0 to 22.2) and with 1–3 years experience post credentialing for AAA (OR 9.6, 95% CI 2.2 to 43.2) were significantly less likely to visualise and accurately measure the aorta compared to providers with >3 years experience.ConclusionAAA sonography performance varied markedly among a diverse group of already credential ED sonographers. The most experienced providers demonstrated best performance. The present results suggest that some providers might require >25 proctored scans to ensure competency and training, and training on technically difficult patients should be part of the credentialing process.

Safety of central venous catheter (CVC) placement relies on some general aspects, including selection of the right vessel, correct lumen targeting while inserting the needle, check the position of catheter tip, and post-procedure check for complications. All these four points can be guided by bedside ultrasound, but the best technique to ensure the position of the CVC tip is still uncertain. We investigated feasibility of a novel ultrasound technique consisting of focused view of guidewire tip in the cavoatrial junction (CAJ) to calculate the CVC depth in adult patients needing CVC placement in emergency. Direct visualization of the guidewire in the CAJ was used to calculate how deep the CVC needed to be inserted. In those patients without a valid CAJ window, a bubble test in the right atrium was performed to position the CVC tip. In all cases chest radiography confirmed the CVC position. The procedure was performed in 37 patients and CVC was correctly placed in all cases. Within the group, in 25 patients the CVC depth (21.5 ± 6.0 cm) was successfully measured. In other 11 patients the correct CVC tip position was confirmed by the bubble test. In only one case it was not possible to use ultrasound for incomplete CAJ and right atrium views. This study confirms the feasibility of a new ultrasound method to ensure the correct CVC tip position. This protocol could potentially become a standard method reducing costs, post-procedural irradiation, and time of CVC placement in emergency.

Point-of-care ultrasound has become firmly established in acute and critical care settings, and is now increasingly being used as an important tool in the assessment of the lungs. In this article, we briefly describe the technique of lung ultrasound and the various lines and signs commonly encountered during sonography of the lung, namely the normally visualised A- and T-lines and the bat sign, sliding sign (power slide sign on colour Doppler), sea-shore sign, curtain sign, and the lung pulse. We have also described signs seen in various pathological conditions like B-lines seen in cases of increased lung density; the quad sign, sinusoid sign, thoracic spine sign, plankton sign and the jelly fish sign seen in pleural effusion; the stratosphere sign and the lung point sign seen in pneumothorax; the shred/fractal sign and tissue-like sign in consolidation, and the double lung point sign seen in transient tachypnoea of the newborn. With adequate and appropriate training, lung ultrasound can be effectively utilised as a point-of-care investigation.

Racial inequities are pervasive throughout healthcare. We sought to assess if race and ethnicity are associated with emergency department (ED) point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) usage compared with radiology-ordered ultrasounds as our primary outcome and a secondary outcome of nurse-driven ultrasound ordering for early pregnancy. In this retrospective, observational cohort study between June 2015 and December 2021, we assessed ED physician POCUS use in relation to Radiology (RADUS) ultrasound for first trimester pregnancy with race and ethnicity as our primary variable. A secondary outcome assessed if race and ethnicity impacted nursing-driven ultrasound ordering. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were created to test relationships and interactions with clinical variables. Given the overlap of language and race/ethnicity, a multivariate model with language as the primary variable was included. No significant differences based on race and ethnicity were found for the selection of POCUS versus RADUS (n = 2337: χ2 = 5.25, p = 0.155). For the secondary outcome, 1694 of 7662 (22.1 %) patients received a nurse ultrasound order. Hispanic/Latino patients had increased odds of receiving a nurse-driven order (aOR 1.25, 95 % CI 1.009–1.549) and those of other or unknown race/ethnicity (aOR 1.357, 95 %CI 1.043–1.765) when language was excluded; in addition to Non-English speakers (OR 1.213, 95 %CI 1.072–1.372) with race excluded. For first trimester pregnancy complaints, race and ethnicity did not alter POCUS usage by ED physicians. Secondary analysis showed race and ethnicity differences in nurse-driven orders, however collinearity between the primary outcome and language makes it difficult to assess the magnitude of these factors.

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is becoming increasingly utilized by emergency medicine providers during cardiac arrest. Intra-arrest, TEE confers several benefits including shorter pauses in chest compressions and direct visualization of cardiac compressions. Many ultrasound probe manufacturers recommend against performing defibrillation with the TEE probe in the mid-esophagus for fear of causing esophageal injury or damage to the probe, however no literature exists that has investigated this concern. To assess this, we performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and multiple defibrillations in 8 swine with a TEE probe in place. We performed TEE on 8 adult swine during CPR and performed multiple 200 J defibrillations with the TEE probe in the mid-esophagus. Post-mortem, esophagi were dissected and inspected for evidence of injury. On macroscopic inspection of 8 esophagi, no evidence of hematoma, thermal injury, or perforation was noted. Our study suggests that performing defibrillation during CPR with a TEE probe in place in the mid-esophagus is likely safe and low risk for significant esophageal injury. This further bolsters the use of TEE in CPR and would enable continuous visualization of cardiac activity without the need to remove the TEE probe for defibrillation.

Background Lung ultrasound (LUS) may accurately diagnose pneumothorax. However, there is uncertainty about its usefulness in the quantification of pneumothorax size. To determine the ability of LUS in the semi-quantification of pneumothorax volume, we compared the projection of the lung point (LP) with the pneumothorax volume measured by computerized tomography (CT) and the interpleural distance on chest radiography (CXR). Methods We performed LUS in patients with pneumothorax and all the LP located on the chest wall were compared to CXR and CT studies. The primary outcome of the study was the ability of LP to grade pneumothorax volumes measured by CT. The secondary outcome was the accuracy of LP to predict small and large pneumothorax according to the societal guidelines based on CXR reading. Results A total of 124 patients with pneumothorax were enrolled (76 spontaneous, 20 traumatic and 28 post-procedural). Ninety-four CXR and 58 CT were available for the analysis. An LP posterior to the mid axillary line corresponded to three different CXR criteria for large pneumothorax with sensitivity from 81.4 to 88.2 % and specificity from 64.7 to 72.6 %. The mid axillary line also represented the limit for predicting greater than 15 % of lung collapse when volume is measured at CT, with sensitivity 83.3 % and specificity 82.4 %. Conclusions LUS-targeted assessment of LP was a useful predictor of pneumothorax volume in this research study setting. LUS reliably classified pneumothorax size when compared to criteria based on CXR reading, particularly the small sized pneumothorax. However, LUS greatly outperformed conventional CXR reading for a graded quantification of the percentage of lung collapse.

Isolated abdominal aortic dissection is a rare but potentially fatal condition. Timely diagnosis and management are crucial to reduce mortality and possible complications. Though computed tomography (CT) is the diagnostic imaging modality of choice, point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) holds certain promises in diagnosing aortic dissection. PoCUS is readily available at the bedside, has high specificity and sensitivity, and is useful, especially in unstable cases or when advanced imaging access is limited or time-consuming. PoCUS can also aid in risk stratification and assist in clinical decision-making when the likelihood of diagnosis is low. We describe a case of a 56-year-old patient who was referred to us with suspected abdominal aortic dissection, initially identified on an outpatient ultrasound. PoCUS performed in the emergency department (ED) revealed findings inconsistent with an intimal flap but more suggestive of a retained foreign body. The diagnosis was subsequently confirmed by a CT scan, which demonstrated a retained guidewire inadvertently left in place during a coronary intervention performed a decade earlier.

Purpose Over the last decade, the use of ultrasound as a technique to look for pneumothorax has rapidly evolved. This review aims to analyze and synthesize current knowledge on lung ultrasound targeted at the diagnosis of pneumothorax. The technique and its usefulness in different scenarios are explained, and its merits over conventional radiology are highlighted. Methods A systematic literature search (1995–2010) was performed, involving PubMed, to describe the more recent scientific evidence on the topic. Moreover, this review is also a synopsis of experts’ opinion and personal clinical experience. Results and conclusions Ultrasound diagnosis of pneumothorax relies on the recognition of four sonographic artifact signs: the lung sliding, the B lines, the lung point, and the lung pulse. Combining these few signs, it is possible to accurately rule in or rule out pneumothorax at the bedside in several different clinical scenarios. Sensitivity of a lung ultrasound in the detection of pneumothorax is higher than that of conventional anterior–posterior chest radiography, and similar to that of computerized tomography. A major benefit of a lung ultrasound is that it can be used quickly to diagnose pneumothorax at the bedside in any critical situation, like cardiac arrest and hemodynamically unstable patients. Moreover, it can be used to detect radio-occult pneumothorax and to quantify the extension of the air layer. Advantages in terms of reduced complexity, feasibility at the bedside, and absence of exposure to ionizing radiation make lung ultrasound the method of choice in several common clinical situations.