Use of ultrasonography to avoid an unnecessary procedure in the prehospital combat environment: a case report

The role of ultrasonography in the prehospital combat setting has become a useful tool for triage, diagnosis, and treatment. Recent literature has demonstrated that ultrasonography has a greater sensitivity and specificity than clinical examination and plain radiography for pneumothorax detection in trauma patients, particularly small pneumothoraces. This becomes especially critical in austere and remote environments. Although many pneumothoraces are initially considered non-life-threatening, austere and combat environments possess additional risks of limited supplies, multiple casualties, and prolonged evacuation times that may potentially increase the morbidity of these injuries. This case report discusses the role of ultrasonography in pneumothorax detection in the prehospital combat environment.