Chest
Original Research: CHEST TRAUMAChest Ultrasonography in Lung Contusion
Section snippets
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study took place in the EDs of three hospitals in Italy: Lucca and Valle del Serchio general hospitals in Lucca, and Policlinico A. Gemelli in Rome. Consecutive patients who presented with isolated blunt chest trauma or polytrauma with chest involvement and an injury severity score (ISS) > 15 were enrolled between April 2001 and December 2003. The population comprised 121 patients (Fig 1) who were classified into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 109 patients who were simultaneously
RESULTS
After the exclusion of 33 patients who presented with pneumothorax (prevalence, 27.3%), a total of 88 patients were enrolled: 76 patients in group 1 (retrospective; 47 men and 29 women; mean age, 32 years [range, 18 to 89 years]) and 12 patients in group 2 (prospective; 8 men and 4 women; mean age, 41 years [range, 24 to 77 years]). All patients who presented with important subcutaneous emphysema had pneumothorax and were excluded. All cases of pneumothorax were found in group 1.
In the enrolled
DISCUSSION
The radiographic diagnosis of LC is based on classic signs: irregular, roughly nodular opacities either isolated or merging, homogenous consolidations, and various combinations of these modalities.18 These signs may take several hours to appear, most are present in 24 h, and all vanish in a few days.19 It is agreed that for these reasons, given the low sensitivity of CXR for the diagnosis of LC in the ED,2021 several LCs remain undiagnosed. Spiral CT is able to show many CXR occult lesions and
CONCLUSION
This study reinforces the applicability of the sonographic study of the lung in the emergency setting. In addition to the well-established role of ultrasound in the diagnosis of pneumothorax, hemothorax, and hemoperitoneum, the diagnosis of LC may also be accessed. The given data may support a more selective use of CT. Further studies are being performed to investigate the correlation of a B-line score and the LC volume as measured by CT. This could restrict even further the need of CT scans on
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A research grant was provided by the Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione e della Ricerca Scientifica.