Emergency ultrasound of the chest

Abstract

Thoracic ultrasound is a noninvasive and portable diagnostic tool which is highly indicated for an initial workup of thoracic emergencies. The suspicion of a pneumothorax, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism or a lung contusion after trauma can be quickly assessed using ultrasound. Main advantages are its good availability and the steep learning curve. Another advantage of thoracic sonography is that this rapid, symptom-based examination has a high sensitivity and specificity. However, a disadvantage is that only pleura-affecting lesions or lesions visible through a sound window, e.g. an effusion or a subpleural consolidation, can be reached.