Lung ultrasound allows the diagnosis of weaning-induced pulmonary oedema.

Rationale: Detecting weaning-induced pulmonary oedema (WIPO) is important because its treatment might prompt extubation. For this purpose, lung ultrasound might be an attractive tool, since it demonstrates pulmonary oedema through the appearance of B-lines.

Objectives: To test the ideal profile (increase in the number of B-lines) for diagnosing WIPO.

A-lines and B-lines: lung ultrasound as a bedside tool for predicting pulmonary artery occlusion pressure in the critically ill.

Background: The risk of pulmonary edema is the main limiting factor in fluid therapy in the critically ill. Interstitial edema is a subclinical step that precedes alveolar edema. This study assesses a bedside tool for detecting interstitial edema, lung ultrasound.

The dynamic air bronchogram. A lung ultrasound sign of alveolar consolidation ruling out atelectasis.

Background: The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between a dynamic lung artifact, the dynamic air bronchogram, within alveolar consolidation and the diagnosis of pneumonia vs resorptive atelectasis.

Methods: This prospective study was undertaken within the medical ICU of a university-affiliated teaching hospital. The sample comprised 52 patients with proven pneumonia (pneumonia group) and 16 patients with proven resorptive atelectasis (atelectasis group).

Relevance of lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute respiratory failure: the BLUE protocol.

Background: This study assesses the potential of lung ultrasonography to diagnose acute respiratory failure.

Methods: This observational study was conducted in university-affiliated teaching-hospital ICUs. We performed ultrasonography on consecutive patients admitted to the ICU with acute respiratory failure, comparing lung ultrasonography results on initial presentation with the final diagnosis by the ICU team.

Ultrasound diagnosis of occult pneumothorax.

Objectives: Pneumothorax can be missed by bedside radiography, and computed tomography is the current alternative. We asked whether lung ultrasound could be of any help in this situation.

Design: Retrospective study.

Ultrasound diagnosis of alveolar consolidation in the critically ill.

Objective: Alveolar consolidation is a basic concern in critically ill patients. Radiography is not a precise tool, and referral to CT raises problems (transport, irradiation). The aim of this study was to assess the utility of ultrasound in the diagnosis of alveolar consolidation.

The "lung pulse": an early ultrasound sign of complete atelectasis.

Objective: 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 intubation.