Lung Ultrasound Interpretation
Key Points • Accurate identification of normal and pathologic lung ultrasound patterns is necessary for appropriate application of diagnostic algorithms. • Misinterpretation of B-lines and Z-lines leads to erroneous diagnosis…
Pleural Ultrasound Interpretation
Key Points • Near-complete visualization of the entire pleural surface can be obtained by scanning through rib interspaces along the anterior, lateral, and posterior chest wall. • Diagnosis of a…
Lung and Pleural Ultrasound Technique
Key Points • Thoracic ultrasound largely relies on artifacts produced at the readily visualizable pleural line. These artifacts are few and discrete and strongly correlate with pathologic processes. • Low-frequency,…
Imaging Artifacts
Key Points • Artifacts are false images, or parts of images, that do not represent true anatomic structures. • Artifacts arise when one or more properties of sound are violated….
Orientation
Key Points • Providers must understand the orientation between patient, transducer, and ultrasound screen because ultrasound imaging generates two-dimensional images of three-dimensional structures. • Sagittal and coronal planes are along…
Transducers
Key Points • The four main types of ultrasound transducers—linear, curvilinear, phased-array, and intracavitary—differ by crystal arrangement, size, and footprints, which determine their suitability in different imaging applications. • Higher-frequency…
Basic Operation of an Ultrasound Machine
Key Points • Optimize gain settings to correctly identify anechoic structures, such as blood, and differentiate hypoechoic, isoechoic, and hyperechoic structures. • Adjust depth to center the structure of interest…
Ultrasound Physics
Key Points • Understanding ultrasound physics is essential to acquire and interpret images accurately. • Higher-frequency transducers produce higher-resolution images but penetrate shallower. Lower-frequency transducers produce lower-resolution images but penetrate…
