Ultrasound guided procedures in infectious diseases

Retained foci of infection can represent an additional risk for patients, as they may not respond to antibiotics and require specific procedures to control the focus. This manuscript provides a practical approach to performing ultrasound-guided interventional procedures to recognise and drain infectious collections. The review details the main indications, technical steps, safety tips and clinical applications for five critical procedures: thoracentesis and chest drainage, paracentesis, arthrocentesis, pericardiocentesis and drainage of intra-abdominal abscesses (hepatic, splenic and renal). Ultrasound guidance offers several advantages, such as increased safety, precision and success rates by reducing complications such as pneumothorax, haemorrhage and organ damage, as well as improving diagnostic accuracy. By outlining evidence-based techniques, we also aimed to discuss the best techniques to provide safer and more effective care in the context of the infected patient.