Chest Ultrasonography in Modern Day Extreme Settings: From Military Setting and Natural Disasters to Space Flights and Extreme Sports

Abstract

Chest ultrasonography (CU) is a noninvasive imaging technique able to provide an immediate diagnosis of the underlying aetiology of acute respiratory failure and traumatic chest injuries. Given the great technologies, it is now possible to perform accurate CU in remote and adverse environments including the combat field, extreme sport settings, and environmental disasters, as well as during space missions. Today, the usage of CU in the extreme emergency setting is more likely to occur, as this technique proved to be a fast diagnostic tool to assist resuscitation manoeuvres and interventional procedures in many cases. A scientific literature review is presented here. This was based on a systematic search of published literature, on the following online databases: PubMed and Scopus. The following words were used: “chest sonography,” “ thoracic ultrasound,” and “lung sonography,” in different combinations with “extreme sport,” “extreme environment,” “wilderness,” “catastrophe,” and “extreme conditions.” This manuscript reports the most relevant usages of CU in the extreme setting as well as technological improvements and current limitations. CU application in the extreme setting is further encouraged here.

The chest CT features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China: a meta-analysis of 19 retrospective studies

“…In that study, US examinations was performed at different stages of disease, B-lines showed parallel changes with the clinical severity. However, the unspecific abnormalities realizations in chest CT increase with age, and similarly, the number of chest areas positive for B-lines increases in the elderly [62]. Age-related confounding factors should be taken into consideration in clinical practice in order to avoid misdiagnoses.…”

“…The US could be proposed for the diagnosis or follow up to minimize the risk of cross-infection. Additionally, the US may also play a vital role in areas around the world with limited access to other diagnostic tools, even in austere environments [62].…”

Risk factors of decompression sickness in scuba diving

“…Medical interventions in extreme conditions most often require a combination of rescue and medical skills and prehospital medicine. Expanded care protocols are an invaluably useful tool in extreme situations, which can be continuously developed by learning and identifying risk factors (30).…”

Point-of-Care-Ultraschall in der Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin

“…Damit ist Ultraschall überall verfügbar und hat seine diagnostischen Möglichkeiten auch unter extremen Bedingungen, z. B. auf Schlachtfeldern, bei Expeditionen und sogar im All unter Beweis gestellt [1].…”