Journal of ultrasound
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Journal of ultrasound · Mar 2011
Characterization of the normal pulmonary surface and pneumonectomy space by reflected ultrasound.
Interest has been increasing in the use of transthoracic ultrasound for the study of the pleuropulmonary disease. US imaging depends mainly on the physical interactions between ultrasound waves and the tissues being examined. ⋯ We report the findings of transthoracic ultrasound in normal healthy subjects and in those who had undergone pneumonectomy. This experience shows that, in terms of the ultrasound artifacts mentioned above, the postpneumonectomy cavity is not significantly different from the healthy lung.
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The infrahyoid region of the neck includes the visceral, anterior cervical, posterior cervical, carotid, retropharyngeal, and perivertebral spaces. The visceral space contains the thyroid, parathyroid glands, larynx, hypopharynx, the cervical trachea, and esophagus, the recurrent laryngeal nerve. The carotid space contains two parts, which extend from the skull base to the aortic arch and are delimited by the three layers of the deep cervical fascia (superficial, middle, and deep). ⋯ The anterior cervical space is located deep to the strap muscles and sternocleidomastoid muscle. It surrounds the front and sides of the visceral space and is related posteriorly to the carotid space. This article reviews the ultrasound features of the structures located in the infrahyoid region of the neck.
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Journal of ultrasound · Sep 2009
Diffusion and practice of ultrasound in emergency medicine departments in Italy.
This paper reports data from a cognitive survey on the diffusion, practice and organization of ultrasound (US) in emergency medicine departments (EMDs) in Italy. The study was carried out by the Emergency Medicine Section of the Italian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (SIUMB) in collaboration with the Italian Society for Emergency Medicine and Urgent Care (SIMEU). ⋯ The presence of a US scanner in the ER is essential for the practice and training and is correlated with the level of the EMD. The use of US appears to be less common in less equipped hospitals, regardless of the size of the ER and the availability of radiological services. Wider diffusion of US and greater integration with other services for the installment of the required equipment is to be hoped for.
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Journal of ultrasound · Dec 2008
Introducing ultrasound-guided vein catheterization into clinical practice: A step-by-step guide for organizing a hands-on training program with inexpensive handmade models.
Central vein catheterization (CVC) plays a central role in hospital patient management. Compared with the use of traditional anatomical landmarks, ultrasound-guidance is associated with higher CVC success rates, fewer complications, and more rapid central venous access. The use of US-guided CVC in clinical practice has not become widespread, largely because anesthesiology and general surgery residents receive limited training in this technique. To increase the use of US-guided CVC in our surgical department, we organized a hands-on training program based on the use of handmade models. ⋯ The models described in this report are useful tools for teaching US-guided CVC. Thanks to their low-cost, they can be widely used to facilitate the introduction of this technique in clinical practice.
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Journal of ultrasound · Jun 2008
Role of thoracic ultrasound in the assessment of pleural and pulmonary diseases.
Although numerous studies have been conducted on the use of ultrasonography (US) for the examination of thoracic structures, this procedure is not as widely accepted as abdominal US. The newer portable scanners can be used at the bedside to detect pleural malignancies and effusions, as well as peripheral lung nodules of the lung, even in seriously ill patients. ⋯ US guidance can also be used during percutaneous drainage of pleural effusion or transthoracic biopsy of peripheral lung lesions, thus reducing the incidence of procedure-related pneumothorax to almost zero. We review the current literature on thoracic US and present our clinical experience with the technique in large groups of patients with pleural and peripheral lung diseases.