Exploring the Use of Lung Ultrasonography to Assess Cardiac Surgery Patients: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Objective: Lung ultrasonography (LUS) is a safe, quick, and portable diagnostic tool, which can accurately detect postoperative pulmonary complications, postsurgically, without ionizing radiation. The aim of this scoping review was to map the evidence base regarding the use of LUS to assess cardiac surgery patients. Materials and Methods: The JBI methodology was used to conduct this particular scoping review. Results: In total, 90 publications were identified and of those, 73 were research studies, six were narrative reviews, and 11 were narrative, opinion, and text articles. The studies that were included were predominantly observational cohorts and aimed to determine or compare LUS diagnostic ability, prognostic ability, or both. The LUS methods used with patients were heterogeneous and variably reported. Conclusion: Despite an increasing number of studies since 2014, standardized protocols for the use of LUS are yet to be widely adopted and remain an important area for further work. Future research should consider exploring perceptions and experiences of LUS, the use of LUS in treatment outcome measurement, and use by nonphysician health care professionals.