Descrizione

Echocardiography is no longer confined to echocardiography labs, but represents a widely used diagnostic tool found in Emergency, Intensive Care, Neonatal Intensive Care and Hemodynamics Units during interventional procedure. The absence of exposure to ionizing radiation, and its characteristics of safety and repeatability have contributed to its spread. Today, it is no longer the prerogative of cardiologists, but has become a technique that can be applied with full indication by emergency physicians, internists, anesthetists, and general practitioners. Ultrasound evaluation of the vessels and also of the lungs represents one of the objectives that have been added to previous protocols over time. The possibility of identifying the presence of B-lines, an expression of decompensation or fibrosis, the presence of pleural effusion, and the presence of pneumothorax, have extended the potential of this technique. This book examines the clinical use of ultrasound starting by symptoms (dyspnea, chest pain, cardiac arrest) up to the diagnosis in the Emergency Room and in the Intensive Care Unit, and to the elaboration of a therapy.