[General principles of sonography, part 2: System technology, basic techniques and artifacts]

Since the introduction of portable ultrasound systems, sonography has become well established as an integral part of the anesthesiological and critical care equipment and of monitoring. The selection of various ultrasound transducers, sonographic techniques and imaging modes enables a broad variety of clinical applications. In depth background knowledge of the technical aspects is crucial for obtaining what a highly sophisticated ultrasound system has to offer, i.e., sonographic transparency of the complete body and valid information on the structure and dynamics of organs and the circulation.