[Experience with real-time sonography in an internal medicine intensive care unit]

We investigated 51 patients in a prospective study by sonography at the earliest possible opportunity after admission to an intensive-care unit. At least one pathological finding was detected in 39 patients (76,5%). We found sonographic examination helpful for further intensive-care treatment, especially in cases where the indication for sonography arose from an acute situation. We would therefore like to suggest to use sonography more often in intensive-care diagnostics. However, sonographic examination is not recommended as a routine measure.