Competence in thoracic ultrasound

Abstract

Ultrasound examination is traditionally considered a safe and repeatable exam, but its use is highly operator-dependent. Because of this, lack of sufficient operator skills could lead to diagnostic errors and damage to patient safety related to unnecessary tests or interventional procedures. The indications for lung ultrasound include: diagnosis, quantification, and follow-up of different conditions for which acute respiratory failure or chest pain are the main clinical presentation. clinicians should have theoretical and practical knowledge on: physics and technology of ultrasound, indications and methodology of ultrasound examination, normal thoracic anatomy identification by echography, and detection of signs of pleuro-pulmonary pathology. consequently, according to international recommendations, core basic skills and minimum training recommendations for the practice of medical ultrasound and image acquisition are needed to ensure competence of clinicians using ultrasound.

Lung Ultrasound for Imaging of B-Lines in Dogs and Cats—A Prospective Study Investigating Agreement between Three Types of Transducers and the Accuracy in Diagnosing Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema, Pneumonia and Lung Neoplasia

“…However, the results highly depend on the skills and experience of the investigator. In the human medicine, basic skills necessary to be competent in chest ultrasound examination have been defined [ 23 ]. Unfortunately, no such standards in veterinary medicine have so far been developed.…”

Ten Years of Pediatric Lung Ultrasound: A Narrative Review

“…The role of LUS in confirming the presence of pleural effusion is well established ( Coley, 2011 ; Prithviraj and Suresh, 2014 ; Berant et al, 2015 ; Cox et al, 2017 ; Joshi et al, 2019 ; Toma et al, 2019 ).…”

“…The role of LUS in confirming the presence of pleural effusion is well established (Coley, 2011;Prithviraj and Suresh, 2014;Berant et al, 2015;Cox et al, 2017;Joshi et al, 2019;Toma et al, 2019). Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a useful and safe tool for evaluating pleural effusion because it allows the distinction between effusion and lung consolidations and has greater accuracy in detecting pleural effusion than bedside CXR.…”

“…Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a useful and safe tool for evaluating pleural effusion because it allows the distinction between effusion and lung consolidations and has greater accuracy in detecting pleural effusion than bedside CXR. CXR can detect the presence of pleural effusion in patients in an orthostatic position only if the volume of the effusion is at least 200 mL and the sensitivity of this method decreases in the supine position, while LUS can detect effusions as small as 10-20 mL ( Coley, 2011 ; Prithviraj and Suresh, 2014 ; Berant et al, 2015 ; Cox et al, 2017 ; Joshi et al, 2019 ; Toma et al, 2019 ).…”

“…In addition, ultrasound allows the identification of adjacent structures: chest wall, hemidiaphragm (over the liver or spleen), and visceral pleural surface. This is important, especially in the case of an invasive procedure, in order to avoid organ injury ( Coley, 2011 ; Prithviraj and Suresh, 2014 ; Berant et al, 2015 ; Cox et al, 2017 ; Joshi et al, 2019 ; Toma et al, 2019 ).…”