Pleural ultrasound for clinicians.
Pleural ultrasonography is useful for identifying and characterising pleural effusions, solid pleural lesions (nodules, masses, swellings) and pneumothorax. Pleural ultrasonography is also considered the standard care for guiding interventionist procedures on the pleura at the patient's bedside (thoracentesis, drainage tubes, pleural biopsies and pleuroscopy). Hospitals should promote the acquisition of portable ultrasound equipment to increase the patient's safety.
Unidad de Medicina Pleural, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Arnau de Vilanova, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Lleida Fundación Dr. Pifarré (IRBLLEIDA), Lleida, España. Electronic address: jporcelp@yahoo.es.
J M
JM
Porcel
Derrame pleural; Ecografía torácica; Neumotórax; Pleural effusion; Pneumothorax; Thoracentesis; Thoracic ultrasound; Toracocentesis