Usefulness of lung ultrasound in the bedside distinction between pulmonary edema and exacerbation of COPD
- 31 January 2008
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Emergency Radiology
- Vol. 15 (3), 145-151
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-008-0701-x
Abstract
This review discusses the usefulness of bedside lung ultrasound in the diagnostic distinction between different causes of acute dyspnea in the emergency setting, particularly focusing on differential diagnosis of pulmonary edema and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is possible using a simple unit and easy-to-acquire technique performed by radiologists and clinicians. Major advantages include bedside availability, absence of radiation, high feasibility and reproducibility, and cost efficiency. The technique is based on analysis of sonographic artifacts instead of direct visualization of pulmonary structures. Artifacts are because of interactions between water-rich structures and air and are called "comet tails" or B lines. When such artifacts are widely detected on anterolateral transthoracic lung scans, we diagnose diffuse alveolar-interstitial syndrome, which is often a sign of acute pulmonary edema. This condition rules out exacerbation of COPD as the main cause of an acute dyspnea.Keywords
This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit:
- Bedside ultrasound of the lung for the monitoring of acute decompensated heart failureThe American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2008
- Ultrasound in the management of thoracic diseaseCritical Care Medicine, 2007
- Chest Ultrasonography in Lung ContusionSocial psychiatry. Sozialpsychiatrie. Psychiatrie sociale, 2006
- Prevalence of Negative Chest Radiography Results in the Emergency Department Patient With Decompensated Heart FailureAnnals of Emergency Medicine, 2006
- Ultrasound diagnosis of occult pneumothorax*Critical Care Medicine, 2005
- Usefulness of ultrasound lung comets as a nonradiologic sign of extravascular lung waterThe American Journal of Cardiology, 2004
- Sonographische Befunde bei interstitiellen LungenerkrankungenUltraschall in der Medizin - European Journal of Ultrasound, 2001
- Can the clinical examination diagnose left-sided heart failure in adults?JAMA, 1997
- Value of ECGs in identifying heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunctionBMJ, 1996
- Plasma brain natriuretic peptide in assessment of acute dyspnoeaThe Lancet, 1994