Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
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Sonoelastography can visualize components of skin and soft tissue abscesses, including the abscess cavity and surrounding induration, related to the patient's response to the infection. We speculate that characteristics of the induration surrounding an abscess may predict which abscesses will eventually fail therapy. ⋯ We describe sonographic characteristics of the abscess induration imaged with sonoelastography that are associated with therapy failure. We found that patients with asymmetric induration visualized with sonoelastography have higher rates of therapy failure.
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Sonographic visualization of an empty esophagus to confirm endotracheal tube placement during intubation may be more reliable than identifying an endotracheal tube within the trachea. Our objective was to determine the frequency in which the normal empty esophagus can be identified at or below the level of the cricoid ring in children. ⋯ With cricoid pressure applied using a linear transducer, the esophagus was visualized lateral to the trachea in all children and young adults. Visualizing an empty esophagus by point-of-care sonography may be feasible to confirm endotracheal tube placement by a process of elimination.
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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of and training in emergency ultrasound (US) in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) with pediatric emergency medicine (EM) fellowship programs. We hypothesized that emergency US use and pediatric EM fellow training have become widespread and that more structured training is being offered. ⋯ As of 2011, nearly all pediatric EDs with pediatric EM fellowship programs use emergency US. Pediatric EM fellowship programs provide emergency US training to their fellows, with a structured rotation being offered by most of these programs.
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To evaluate the feasibility of using the difference in left ventricular (LV) mass at end diastole and peak systole as determined by area-length calculation methods to detect major stenosis of the left coronary artery territory by 2-dimensional echocardiography. ⋯ The LV mass difference between end diastole and peak systole can effectively reflect the diameter changes of the left coronary artery, and a reduced mass difference is a sensitive and specific predictor of major stenosis of the left coronary artery territory.