Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
-
Acute deterioration in respiratory status commonly occurs in patients who cannot be transported for imaging studies, particularly during surgical procedures and in critical care settings. Transthoracic lung ultrasonography has been developed to allow rapid diagnosis of respiratory conditions at the bedside. Nevertheless, the thorax is not always accessible, especially in the perioperative setting. Transesophageal lung ultrasonography (TELU) can be used to circumvent this problem. ⋯ Anesthesiologists and intensivists who already use transesophageal echocardiography on a regular basis should consider adding TELU to their clinical assessment of hypoxemia and related pulmonary pathologies. Nevertheless, the literature specifically supporting TELU is relatively limited, and further validation studies are needed.