Journal of clinical ultrasound : JCU
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To describe our experience concerning lung ultrasound (LUS) in the pediatric emergency clinic, and to investigate the diagnostic value of LUS in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). ⋯ We think that LUS can be beneficial in terms of identifying patients with lung involvement and staging their severity in this new disease in pediatric emergency clinics. The procedure is noninvasive, rapid, reproducible, and low cost, involving simple sterilization. Based on the current literature and our own practical experience, we think that increased use of point-of-care LUS can protect patients from unnecessary radiation and treatment delays during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Nasogastric tube (NGT) insertion is commonly performed in pediatric emergency care. Point-of-care ultrasound is used for confirming NGT insertion, but reports of its use in the pediatric emergency department (ED) are scarce. We describe our experience of ultrasound-guided NGT placement in a pediatric ED. The study pool consisted of twelve patients and the NGT tip was successfully visualized in the esophagus and gastric cardia in all cases, demonstrating that ultrasound has the potential to be a useful alternative to conventional methods of NGT insertion in the pediatric ED.
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Enteral access via nasogastric tube (NGT) placement can be essential in the provision of care in pediatric patients. Methods exist to confirm correct placement with success rates between 80% and 85%. Radiographic confirmation remains the "gold-standard," however; it exposes patients to ionizing radiation and fails to provide "real-time" information. In this study, we determined the feasibility of using sonography to assist in the placement of NGT insertions in pediatric patients that have difficulty cooperating. ⋯ The use of ultrasonography may assist NGT placement in pediatric patients and reduce the incidence of suboptimal placement during insertion. We demonstrated successful NGT visualization through the esophagus regardless of age. NGT visualization in the stomach was challenging; however, injection of an air bolus may improve visualization. Further studies are required to improve the success rate of obtaining gastric views of the NGT.