Thoracic ultrasound confirmation of correct lung exclusion before one-lung ventilation during thoracic surgery

摘要

Introduction Fiberoptic bronchoscopy is the standard method for verifying the correct position of a double-lumen endotracheal tube (DLET) prior to one-lung ventilation. However, it must be performed by a specially trained anesthesiologist and is often resource consuming. The aim of this study was to compare this approach with thoracic ultrasound done by a nurse anesthetist in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and cost-effectiveness.