How I do it: Lung ultrasound

TLDR

Lung ultrasound has evolved over the past 15 years into a rapid, portable, point‑of‑care imaging tool for assessing pulmonary parenchyma, offering a non‑ionizing, easy‑to‑learn alternative to traditional sonography. LUS proves valuable for diagnosing a wide range of acute and chronic pulmonary conditions and is expected to gain broader clinical adoption across emergency, ICU, cardiology, pulmonology, and nephrology settings.

Abstract

In the last 15 years, a new imaging application of sonography has emerged in the clinical arena: lung ultrasound (LUS). From its traditional assessment of pleural effusions and masses, LUS has moved towards the revolutionary approach of imaging the pulmonary parenchyma, mainly as a point-of-care technique. Although limited by the presence of air, LUS has proved to be useful in the evaluation of many different acute and chronic conditions, from cardiogenic pulmonary edema to acute lung injury, from pneumothorax to pneumonia, from interstitial lung disease to pulmonary infarctions and contusions. It is especially valuable since it is a relatively easy-to-learn application of ultrasound, less technically demanding than other sonographic examinations. It is quick to perform, portable, repeatable, non-ionizing, independent from specific acoustic windows, and therefore suitable for a meaningful evaluation in many different settings, both inpatient and outpatient, in both acute and chronic conditions. In the next few years, point-of-care LUS is likely to become increasingly important in many different clinical settings, from the emergency department to the intensive care unit, from cardiology to pulmonology and nephrology wards.