Common pitfalls and mistakes in pediatric ultrasound

There are many errors and pitfalls that are commonly encountered during ultrasound examinations. In normal ultrasound, pitfalls may arise from anatomic or physiologic variants of pediatric anatomy, settings, artifacts, patient conditions, operator misunderstanding, or inexperienced performance. In limited field and point-of-care ultrasound, common errors are usually due to limited access, misdiagnosis as a result of wrong timing, unsuitable patient conditions, limited transducer options, satisfaction of search, and unfamiliarity with pediatric sonography. Knowledge of these pitfalls helps improve a physician's performance and diagnosis.