[Sonographic diagnostics in neurological emergency and intensive care medicine]

Abstract

Background: This article gives an up-to-date overview of neurosonographic emergency and intensive care diagnostics.

Methods: Selective literature research from 1984 with critical appraisal and including national and international guidelines.

Results: Fast and valid diagnostics in acute stroke is the main field of application of neurosonography. Specific monitoring methods bear great advantages for intensive care patients, especially "as-often-as-wanted" repetitive imaging under real-time conditions. A number of new developments make neurosonography an interesting area of research.

Conclusions: Neurosonography has played a key role in neurological emergency and intensive care medicine for many years. It remains important to continuously support dissemination of the method.