Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
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Soft tissue air may raise suspicion for several life-threatening illnesses. Physical examination has limited sensitivity in detecting air, and computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are time-consuming and expensive. Sonography can show soft tissue air, but the sensitivity and specificity in this setting are currently unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the performance characteristics of sonography in depicting the presence, amount, and affected tissue plane in a cadaver model of soft tissue air. ⋯ Sonography accurately showed the presence, amount, and anatomic plane of soft tissue air in cadavers with sensitivity of 100%. It warrants investigation as a screening test in patients at high risk for subcutaneous air from conditions such as necrotizing fasciitis and gas gangrene.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Use of sonography for rapid identification of esophageal and tracheal intubations in adult patients.
The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of sonography for verifying tracheal tube placement within 3 seconds in adult surgical patients. ⋯ This investigation shows that sonography for confirming tracheal intubation is a fast and effective technique.
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This study investigated whether it is feasible to use sonography to monitor changes in the optic nerve sheath diameter in a porcine model. ⋯ These results suggest that the use of the optic nerve sheath diameter to noninvasively confirm acute changes in intracranial pressure over 1 hour is feasible in a porcine model. We recommend that this method be validated in humans using direct intracranial pressure measurement where possible to confirm it as a screening tool for acute and chronically increased diameters secondary to elevated pressure in clinical settings.
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We have constructed a simple and inexpensive simulation model for the educational instruction of health care providers to detect normal and abnormal ocular conditions in the bedside emergency setting. Such a training model serves to increase the comfort level in performing ocular ultrasound examinations and can increase the accuracy of examination interpretation. Ophthalmologic examinations can be difficult in the emergency setting, and ultrasound has become a useful tool in the diagnosis of emergent ocular conditions.