Bedside Thoracic Ultrasonography for the Critically Ill Patient: From the Emergency Department to the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract Ultrasonography is a valuable tool to guide diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients. This review exposes the available evidence on the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of the patient in shock, respiratory failure, or cardiac arrest from a nontraumatic etiology. The evidence shows that it is a quick and accurate bedside tool for the diagnostic approach of most acute and emergent disorders. From the emergency department to the intensive care unit, ultrasonography helps to make timely diagnoses, guide therapeutic measures, avoid unnecessary procedures, and continuously reassess patients with critical hemodynamic, respiratory, and cardiovascular conditions. This tool will most likely continue to expand its range of usefulness in this and other medical care settings. Today, ultrasonography training is essential to all clinicians who take care of critical patients to improve patient safety, reduce morbidity, and eventually reduce the costs derived from their care.