Authors: Daniel A Lichtenstein Nathalie Lascols Sébastien Prin Gilbert Mezière
Publish Date: 2003/10/14
Volume: 29, Issue: 12, Pages: 2187-2192
Abstract
Complete atelectasis can be immediately generated by selective intubation A dynamic lung ultrasound sign can be described as the association of absent lung sliding with the perception of heart activity at the pleural line a sign which was called “lung pulse” We examined whether this sign be used promptly to confirm complete atelectasis due to selective intubationA left “lung pulse” was immediately present in 14 of 15 patients with right selective intubation and absent with normal lung sliding in all 30 correctly intubated patients and in all 15 healthy subjects during breathing All healthy subjects exhibited a “lung pulse” in apnea The “lung pulse” had a sensitivity of 93 and a specificity of 100 for the diagnosis of complete atelectasis following selective intubation in patients without previous respiratory disordersThe “lung pulse” is a sign of complete atelectasis which is observable immediately before radiological changes Its absence which is correlated with the absence of selective intubation and of conserved lung inflation can eliminate the need for confirmation radiography
Keywords: