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Review
. 2012 Mar 9:20:18.
doi: 10.1186/1757-7241-20-18.

Portable bedside ultrasound: the visual stethoscope of the 21st century

Lawrence M Gillman  1 , Andrew W Kirkpatrick
Affiliations
Review

Portable bedside ultrasound: the visual stethoscope of the 21st century

Lawrence M Gillman et al. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Over the past decade technological advances in the realm of ultrasound have allowed what was once a cumbersome and large machine to become essentially hand-held. This coupled with a greater understanding of lung sonography has revolutionized our bedside assessment of patients. Using ultrasound not as a diagnostic test, but instead as a component of the physical exam, may allow it to become the stethoscope of the 21st century.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The hallmark of lung ultrasound illustrating the normal lung. The pleural line (arrow) is seen below the rib shadows (R) on either side. In real time ultrasound, lung sliding - the visual equivalent of breath sounds, can be seen as motion at the pleural line.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Time-motion (M-) mode ultrasonography illustrating lung sliding by the presence of the 'seashore sign'. The 'seashore sign' is characterized by motionless parietal tissue over the pleural line (arrow) and a homogenous granular pattern below it.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The "power slide" - Power color doppler image indicating motion at the pleural line confirming the presence of lung sliding.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Lung ultrasound image illustrating comet tail artifacts (arrow) caused by thickening of the interlobular septa.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Normal pleura can be seen on the left side of the image (A) and the lung point (arrow) can be seen moving across the screen with respiration (B).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Lung ultrasound image illustrating lung consolidation, highlighted by lung (L) hepatisation ("appearing liver like").
Figure 7
Figure 7
Image of the lung illustrating multiple comet tail artifacts (arrows) consistent with alveolar-interstitial syndrome, in this case caused by a pulmonary contusion.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Lung ultrasound image illustrating the presence of a pleural effusion (P) around the atelectatic lung (L) above the diaphragm (arrow).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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