REVIEW
Whole body ultrasonography in the Intensive Care Unit
C. Psarologakis, A.
Proklou, D. Georgopoulos, N. Xirouchaki
Intensive Care Unit,
Heraklion University Hospital, University of Crete, Greece
Address for correspondence: Nektaria
Xirouchaki MD PhD,
Department of Intensive Care Medicine,
Heraklion University Hospital,
University of Crete,
Greece
E-mail: nxirouch@otenet.gr
KEY WORDS: Whole
body ultrasound, lung ultrasound, cardiac ultrasound, abdomen echography,
intensive care, brain sonography, transcranial doppler, TCD, optic nerve sheath
diameter, ONSD, DVT.
Abstract
Over the last decades
the use of ultrasonography has been established in the ICU. Being an
inexpensive, dynamic and radiation-free examination, ultrasonography is one of the
most useful tools for the diagnosis, management and follow up of the critically
ill patient.
In scientific
literature ultrasonography is considered to substitute the stethoscope, one of
the classic “symbols” of the clinical examination. There are many references in
the literature concerning this Greek word, its origin and its meaning.
According to Laennec (1819), the term “stethoscope”, originates from the Greek
word «στήθος» (chest) and «σκοπώ» (look into). The stethoscope which is used as a
means of auscultation access to the organ target, is nowadays substituted by
the transducer which is the means of visual access to the organ target.
The term whole body
bedside ultrasonography does not necessarily mean that all critically ill
patients should undergo full body imaging, but it mostly means that the
examination should focus on the target-organ and target-system with which it
interacts.
The aim of this review
is to show in brief the applications of the bedside ultrasound in critically
ill patients intending to the spread of its use.