It's about treatment.1
It's about resources.1
It's about time.
The whole-body approach to point-of-care ultrasound
It’s about treatment.1
Ultrasound is an essential tool for pleural evaluation with the aim of improving patient outcomes. Lung ultrasonography is superior to chest radiography and like chest CT for detection of normal aerated lung, pneumothorax, alveolar consolidation, alveolar interstitial disease, and pleural effusion1. A lung exam can…
⦿ Triage and diagnose suspected illness
⦿ Facilitate serial examination of patients to limit X-ray and CT scan use
⦿ Evaluate need for advanced airway or mechanical ventilation
⦿ Assist with ventilator and weaning strategies
⦿ Evaluate patients that may be prone to other lung complications
It’s about resources.
Many of our transducers like the C5-1, C10-3, L19-5, L12-3, and P5-1 have a lung exam preset. The P5-1 phased array with the Sonosite LX or Sonosite PX, for example, offers excellent image clarity for deeper structures ideally suited for cardiac and abdominal applications as well as lung.
It’s about time.
During the peak of COVID-19, much was learned, which further validated ultrasound's importance on patient care and outcomes. Those learnings led to the creation of a 12-point lung exam quick guide; an excellent reference as you implement WBA - or any lung exam - into your practice.
Whole-Body Approach – Definition
The Whole-Body Approach (WBA) to point-of-care ultrasound is a systematic multi-organ ultrasound examination that typically includes thoracic, cardiac, limited abdominal and vascular evaluations.
1. Narasimhan, M., Koenig, SJ., and Mayo, PH. (2016) A Whole-Body Approach to Point of Care Ultrasound.CHEST;150(4):772-776
2. Sorensen, B., & Hunskaar, S. (2019).Point-of-care ultrasound in primary care: a systematic review of generalist performed point-of-care ultrasound in unselected populations.The Ultrasound Journal, 11(1). doi: 10.1186/s13089-019-0145-4
3. Denault, A., Canty, D., Azzam, M., Amir, A., and Gebhard, C. (2019) Whole body ultrasound in the operating room and intensive care unit.Korean J Anesthesiol, 72(5): 413-428
4. Andreas Karabinis MD, PhD, Mariantina Fragou MD, Dimitrios Karakitsos MD, PhD. (2010)Whole-body ultrasound in the intensive care unit: A new role for an aged technique.Journal of Critical Care, 25, 509–513
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