Ultrasound for "Lung Monitoring" of Ventilated Patients
LUS is normally performed in supine patients. Operator should firstly locate the diaphragm and the lungs. Lung consolidation or pleural effusion is found predominantly in dependent and dorsal lung regions and can be easily distinguished from liver or spleen once the diaphragm has been identified. By using the anterior and posterior axillary lines as anatomical landmarks, three areas per hemithorax (anterior, lateral, and posterior) can be iden tified. Each area is divided in two, superior and inferior. In a given region of interest, lung surface of all adjacent inter costal spaces must be explored by moving the probe trans versally.
Anesthesiology