Radiology Key

Key Points • Basic cardiac valve assessment can be performed with two-dimensional ultrasound and color flow Doppler. • Severe aortic or mitral regurgitation can be detected with bedside ultrasound, which…

Key Points • The primary indications for performing bladder ultrasound at the bedside are estimation of bladder volume, confirmation of proper urinary catheter placement, detection of stones, and assessment of…

Key Points • There are three standard imaging windows in cardiac ultrasound imaging: parasternal, apical, and subcostal. From these three windows, the 12 traditional imaging views are obtained. • Providers…

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…

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…

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,…

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….

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…

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…