title: Application of Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases in Resource-Limited Settings.
abstract: Ultrasound (US) has vast potential in the field of infectious diseases, especially so in resource-limited settings. Recent technological advances have increased availability and access to ultrasound in low-resource settings, where the burden of infectious diseases is greatest. This paper collates the evidence for the utilization of ultrasound and evaluates its effectiveness in the diagnosis and management of a range of infectious diseases. This paper explores the role of ultrasound in population-based screening for specific diseases as well as highlights its benefits for individual patient management. We describe the common diagnostic signs seen on US for common and neglected parasitic, bacterial, and viral diseases. We proceed to document the emerging field of chest US which is proving to be a superior imaging modality for the diagnosis of specific pulmonary conditions. We conclude by discussing the efforts needed to formalize and rigorously evaluate the role of ultrasound in infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, San Matteo Hospital Foundation, Pavia, Italy. enrico.brunetti@unipv.it.|Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. enrico.brunetti@unipv.it.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brunetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Klinikum Muenchen-Perlach, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.affiliation: Tropical Medicine, Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine and Hospitalist Services, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaminstein
authors.affiliation: King's College Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Youkee
authors.affiliation: Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, San Bortolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Giordani
authors.affiliation: Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Hospital, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goblirsch
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tamarozzi
keywords: Disease detection in resource-limited settings; Imaging for disease detection; Infectious disease screening; Ultrasound