Utility of ultrasound in resuscitation

This article reviews the development of ultrasound with respect to critical events and its impact on reducing morbidity and mortality from abdominal and chest trauma, on the recognition of reversible causes of pulseless electrical activity, on decision-making in acute respiratory failure, and on predicting survival and reducing complications associated with invasive procedures. We revised how ultrasounds performed by non-experts with a minimum of training and focused on recognizing specific situations have a good degree of correlation with expert conducted ultrasounds. Some protocols of ultrasound in resuscitation described in the literature are reviewed and a description is made of the most relevant variables in critical situations, including left ventricular function, volume responsiveness, cardiac tamponade, right ventricular dilatation, and pulmonary evaluation.
Source: Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research