Lung Ultrasound in Critical Care: A Narrative Review

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Lung ultrasound (LUS) is increasingly utilized in critical care and prehospital settings.
• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated LUS adoption due to its accessibility with handheld devices.
• LUS reduces reliance on traditional radiological investigations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current applications of LUS in managing critically ill patients.
• To explore LUS protocols, scoring systems, and associated pathologies.
• To investigate novel uses of LUS in respiratory care.

Main Methods:

• This narrative review synthesizes published literature on LUS protocols and applications.
• It examines diagnostic accuracy, grading of respiratory pathology, and monitoring capabilities.
• The review also addresses accreditation frameworks for LUS.

Main Results:

• LUS enables rapid diagnosis and grading of respiratory conditions.
• It aids in optimizing ventilation, assessing weaning, and monitoring surfactant therapy efficacy.
• Accreditation is crucial to prevent misinterpretation and ensure patient safety.

Conclusions:

• LUS is an indispensable tool for critically ill patients, offering significant diagnostic and therapeutic benefits.
• Standardized protocols and accreditation are necessary for optimal and safe LUS implementation.
• Further exploration of novel LUS applications is warranted.