[Computerized tomography of the thorax in intensive care patients]

Thoracic CT for patients in intensive care is cumbersome but provides important additional information in the presence of complicated lung changes. Total opacification of a lung field visualised on conventional portable films may be due to infiltration and/or fluid and/or collapse by using the clinical information in conjunction with densitometric measurements. CT may help in the differentiation of pulmonary oedema, particularly in the presence of ARDS and its complications. It is also possible to accurately localise abscesses and empyemas in the presence of extensive consolidation. This makes it possible to drain abscesses or empyemas, or pleural fluid in unusual situations, which has become loculated, or to aspirate a pneumothorax.