Lung Ultrasound in the Critically Ill

Written by a pioneer in critical care ultrasound, this book discusses the basic technique and “signatures” of lung ultrasound and explains its main clinical applications. The tools and clinical uses of the BLUE protocol, which allows diagnosis of most cases of acute respiratory failure, are first described in detail. Careful attention is then devoted to protocols derived from the BLUE protocol – the FALLS protocol for diagnosis and management of acute circulatory failure, the Pink protocol for use in ARDS, and the SESAME protocol for use in cardiac arrest – and to the LUCI-FLR program, a means of answering clinical questions while reducing radiation exposure. Finally, the book discusses all the possible settings in which lung ultrasound can be used, discipline by discipline and condition by condition. Lung Ultrasound in the Critically Ill comprehensively explains how ultrasound can become the stethoscope of modern medicine. It is a superb complement to the author’s previous book, Whole Body Ultrasonography in the Critically Ill.

The tools of the BLUE-protocol: Basic notions: the indispensable.- Which unit.- Which probe.- Specific notions.- The seven principles of L.U.C.I..- The BLUE-points.- The 10 signatures at a glance.- The pleural line.- The A-profile and the A-line.- The A-profile and lung sliding.- The B-line.- Interstitial syndrome and lung rockets.- The B-profile, the B'-profile.- The A'-profile and pneumothorax.- PLAPS.- PLAPS and pleural effusion.- PLAPS and lung consolidation. The C-profile.- BLUE-DVT. Deep venous thrombosis in the BLUE-protocol.- Simple emergency cardiac sonography.- The BLUE-protocol in clinical use: Basic principle of the BLUE-protocol. The 8 profiles. The data.- Excluded patients of the BLUE-protocol.- Frequently asked questions on the BLUE-protocol.- The BLUE-protocol and pneumonia.- The BLUE-protocol and acute hemodynamic pulmonary edema.- The BLUE-protocol, asthma and COPD.- The BLUE-protocol and pulmonary embolism.- The BLUE-protocol and pneumothorax.- The main products derived from the BLUE-protocol: Pink-protocol (lung ultrasound in ARDS).- The LUCI-FLR project (decrease of medical irradiation).- FALLS-protocol (heart, lung, venous ultrasound in management of acute circulatory failure).- SESAME-protocol (ultrasound in cardiac arrest).- Extension of lung ultrasound to specific disciplines, wider settings, various considerations: Lung ultrasound in the neonate.- All specialties involved in lung ultrasound.- Critical ultrasound, lung, heart and DVT apart.- The Extended BLUE-protocol.- Non critical ultrasound.- Various considerations.- How to learn the BLUE-protocol.- Holistic ultrasound, a new definition - how it can impact critical medicine.- Lung artifacts from A to Z.

"The introduction to Lung Ultrasound in the Critically Ill: The BLUE Protocol highlights the development of lung US for the critically ill and the hurdles encountered. ... this book serves as an excellent reference for the topic of lung US from a comprehensive approach that has not previously been available. The author provides thorough background and has structured the concepts so as to appeal to any acute care specialty." (Davinder Ramsingh, Anesthesia & Analgesia, Vol. 125 (4), October, 2017)

"The book reflects the colossal experience of a dedicated physician evaluating the lungs with simple ultrasound technology. It is rich in practical points, clinical pearls, anecdotes, and historical and philosophical citations. ... Dr. Lichtenstein is one of the pioneers of bedside ultrasound. Hence, the book is also the history of three decades of personal struggle to advance bedside ultrasound to where it is today. ... a unique book which we believe will become an instant classic." (André Denault, Martin Girard and Yiorgos Alexandros Cavayas, Canadian Journal of Anesthesia/Journal canadien d'anesthésie, February, 2016)