Role of bedside-focused ultrasonographic evaluation in the critical patient: a case report


Submitted: 9 January 2013
Accepted: 9 January 2013
Published: 9 September 2011
Abstract Views: 1123
PDF: 1030
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Authors

  • Andrea Bruzzone Clinica Medica III, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Ospedale San Martino e Cliniche Universitarie convenzionate, Genova, Italy.
  • Irene Ponassi Clinica Medica III, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Ospedale San Martino e Cliniche Universitarie convenzionate, Genova, Italy.
  • Caterina Passalia Clinica Medica III, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Ospedale San Martino e Cliniche Universitarie convenzionate, Genova, Italy.
  • Eleonora Arboscello Clinica Medica III, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Ospedale San Martino e Cliniche Universitarie convenzionate, Genova, Italy.
  • Riccardo Ghio Clinica Medica III, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Ospedale San Martino e Cliniche Universitarie convenzionate, Genova, Italy.
We present the case report of an 80 years old woman with late posttraumatic (of low intensity without any immediate clinical alteration) onset of dysphnoea, chest pain and hypotension, in which bedside ultrasonography has been a very useful tool in immediate diagnostic definition (acute respiratory distress syndrome – ARDS due to multiple pulmonary contusions), considering and excluding all possible alternative diagnosis with the same clinical presentation, but also providing a “real time” evaluation of therapeutic regimen (hypovolemia versus excessive fluid embalance) and, last but not least, the chance to perform a close follow up of the ultrasonographic alterations (pleural effusion, signs of alveolar consolidation) pointed out at initial diagnosis. Moreworthly, it has been possible to identify the previous mentioned lesion before they had become evident to standard X-Ray chest evaluation.

Bruzzone, A., Ponassi, I., Passalia, C., Arboscello, E., & Ghio, R. (2011). Role of bedside-focused ultrasonographic evaluation in the critical patient: a case report. Emergency Care Journal, 7(3), 5–8. https://doi.org/10.4081/ecj.2011.3.5

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