Exploring the potentialities of lung ultrasound in pediatric cardiac surgery: an easy, fast, inexpensive, radiation-free, but still surprisingly underutilized diagnostic tool (DSB.AD002.042)

Thematic area

Biomedical sciences

Project area

Structure responsible for the research project

Institute of clinical physiology (IFC)

Project manager

LUNA GARGANI
Phone number: 0503152376
Email: gargani@ifc.cnr.it

Abstract

The aim of our study is to test the diagnostic accuracy of LUS in the evaluation of common pulmonary complications after pediatric cardiac surgery. Despite crescent evidence supports its use, LUS has never been extensively tested so far in pediatric cardiac surgery. LUS may offer several advantages over traditional examinations: 1) time savings for the diagnosis of pulmonary complications, 2) reclassification of disease severity (i.e. pulmonary effusion estimation), 3) the possibility to perform new diagnosis (i.e. retrosternal clots), 4) a deeper understanding of the physiopatologic mechanisms of post- surgical respiratory impairment, 5) avoid the repetition of expensive and dangerous X-RAy examinations. The final goal of our project is the integration of LUS in daily practice in pediatric cardiac surgery. This should ameliorate the diagnostic process of pulmonary complications, allowing a more prompt treatment with the addictive advantages to save times, costs and x-Ray exposition.

Start date of activity

25/06/2016

Keywords

lung ultrasound, pediatric cardiac surgery

Last update: 26/08/2025