Minerva anestesiologica
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The application of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the perioperative setting has been expanding over the past decades. TEE has become increasingly important in the management of critically ill patients both in the operating room and in the intensive care unit (ICU). TEE is a semi-invasive imaging technique that provides a rapid, real-time, bedside assessment of cardiac function and morphology. ⋯ Hemodynamic parameters, such as volumes and pressures, can be obtained via TEE assessment of cardiac performance and may be helpful for diagnosis and treatment. Intraoperative TEE is actually considered an important diagnostic tool in patients scheduled for cardiac surgery as well as in high-risk patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. All types of hemodynamic impairment can be quickly assessed via TEE, and the management of the echo data can define both the cause and the diagnosis.
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Ultrasonographic scanning of the lung is gaining ever-growing recognition as a diagnostic and monitoring imaging technique. Its role in trauma assessment has already been established as an extension of the focused assessment of trauma with sonography for the diagnosis of pneumothorax. As more centers are discovering the advantages of ultrasound and conducting experimental and comparative studies, its use for diagnosing many other lung pathologies is becoming even more important. ⋯ Here, we review all possible applications of lung ultrasonography used thus far in Intensive Care Units, where a readily available and biologically non-invasive imaging technique may make the difference in diagnosis. In addition, we describe how the non-invasive nature of ultrasonography allows it to be used as a monitoring device of disease progression vs the healing process. We also provide a detailed explanation of the methods and materials necessary and a few indications towards unanswered questions in this field of research.