Whole-body ultrasound in the intensive care unit

Abstract

Whole-body ultrasound can be used in the evaluation of many critical conditions including encephalopathy where brain and ocular ultrasound combined with transcranial Doppler can identify elevated intracranial pressure. Hypoxaemia is mostly related to pulmonary disease and lung ultrasound can rapidly identify the aetiology. Cardiac, lung and abdominal ultrasound will be useful to identify both the mechanism and aetiology of haemodynamic instability. Finally, in any oligo-anuric patient, renal ultrasound should be performed. The use of ultrasound is further supported by several prospective and randomised trials.