Over the past two decades it has been increasingly recognized that whole-body ultrasound is an invaluable tool in the critically ill. In addition to offering rapid whole-body assessment, it has the advantage of being a bedside approach that is available at all times and can be repeated at will. Accordingly, it permits the immediate institution of appropriate therapeutic management. Whole-Body Ultrasound in the Critically Ill is the sequel to the author's previous books on the subject, which were first published in French in 1992 and 2002 and in English in 2004. This new volume reflects the latest state of knowledge by including a variety of improvements, revised definitions, and updated algorithms. Findings in respect of individual organs are clearly presented, and a particular feature is the in-depth coverage of the lungs, traditionally regarded as an area unsuitable for ultrasound. Throughout, the emphasis is on the practical therapeutic impact of the technique. Its value in a variety of settings, including unexplained shock, management of hemodynamic instability, acute respiratory failure (the BLUE protocol), and the critically ill neonate, is carefully explained. Interventional ultrasound and less widely recognized applications, such as mesenteric infarction, pneumoperitoneum, and intracranial hypertension, are also described. Pitfalls of the technique receive due attention. Today, whole-body ultrasound touches upon every area of critical care. This book, from the chief pioneer in the field, shows that the technique enables critical care physicians to detect therapeutically relevant signs easily and quickly. It will serve as an invaluable guide to the practice of a form of visual medicine.

Introductive Chapters

Basic Notions of Critical Ultrasound
The Ultrasound Equipment
Specific Notions of Critical Ultrasound in the Critically Ill
Organ by Organ Analysis
to Abdominal Ultrasound: Normal Patterns
Peritoneum
Gastrointestinal Tract
Liver
Gallbladder
Urinary Tract
Various Targets in the Abdomen (Spleen, Adrenals, Pancreas, Lymph Nodes)
Aorta
Principles of Examination of the Deep Veins in the Critically Ill
Principles of Examination of the Deep Veins in the Critically Ill
to Lung Ultrasound
Pleural Effusion
Lung: Alveolar Syndrome
Lung and Interstitial Syndrome
Pneumothorax
Basic Applications of Lung Ultrasound in the Critically Ill: 1 - A Bedside Alternative to CT and Other Irradiating Techniques
Basic Applications of Lung Ultrasound in the Critically Ill: 2 - The Ultrasound Approach of an Acute Respiratory Failure: The BLUE Protocol
Applications of Lung Ultrasound in the Critically Ill: 3 - Lung Ultrasound in the Neonate
Simple Emergency Cardiac Sonography
Simple Critical Ultrasound Considering Hemodynamic Therapy: Our Limited Investigation
Head and Neck
Soft Tissues and Miscellaneous Areas
Clinical Applications of Ultrasound
Interventional Ultrasound
Ultrasound in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit: Some Peculiarities
Critical Ultrasound Outside the Intensive Care Unit
Analytic Study of Severe and/or Frequent Situations in the Critically Ill
Free Considerations
A Way to Learn Critical Ultrasound
Critical Ultrasound, Not Just a New Technique: Also a Philosophy.