Why consider using ultrasound in patients with respiratory failure

Dr Tomas Villen Villegas an Emergency Medicine doctor who is based in the Hospital Universitario Ramon y Cajal. Madrid, discusses the use of ultrasound for the diagnosis of respiratory failure in patients.

Respiratory failure is a condition in which not enough oxygen passes from your lungs into your blood. It can also occur if your lungs cannot remove the waste gas, known as carbon dioxide, from your blood. You can also experience both problems at the same time.

Signs and symptoms of respiratory failure can include shortness of breath, as Dr. Villen mentions in the video, rapid breathing, air hunger and in severe cases you can experience a bluish tint on the skin, lips and fingernails and confusion.

Respiratory failure can be acute (short term) or chronic (long term). Acute respiratory failure can develop quickly and can require emergency intervention. Chronic respiratory failure develops over time and is a long-standing condition.

In this presentation Dr. Villen guides you through the differences between A-Lines and B-Lines using ultrasound. He discusses why the lung appearances change due to the different levels of air and matter within the lung and the respiratory disease associated with such changes. Watch the full video to understand why you should consider ultrasound in patients with respiratory failure.