Critical Care

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Highly Access Review

Clinical review: Bedside lung ultrasound in critical care practice

Bélaïd Bouhemad1*, Mao Zhang2, Qin Lu1 and Jean-Jacques Rouby1

Author Affiliations

1 Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Pierre Viars, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, University Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 6, France

2 Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou, Zhejiang University, China

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Critical Care 2007, 11:205 doi:10.1186/cc5668

Published: 16 February 2007

Abstract

Lung ultrasound can be routinely performed at the bedside by intensive care unit physicians and may provide accurate information on lung status with diagnostic and therapeutic relevance. This article reviews the performance of bedside lung ultrasound for diagnosing pleural effusion, pneumothorax, alveolar-interstitial syndrome, lung consolidation, pulmonary abscess and lung recruitment/derecruitment in critically ill patients with acute lung injury.