Head and Neck Ultrasound: Applications Relevant to Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine

摘要

The use of ultrasound imaging in clinical practice is becoming more widely adopted. It is currently used in many centers to facilitate vascular access and regional anesthesia in addition to the traditional role of diagnostic imaging. Using real-time ultraso-nography, one can guide the needle directly toward the target (nerve for regional anesthesia, or vessel for vascular access) under visualization. Ultraso-nography may help the clinician to avoid critical structures in the path of the needle, therefore potentially improving success while reducing complications. The use of ultrasonography in regional anesthesia has the additional benefit of allowing visualization of accurate distribution of local anesthetic. Recent reports involving sonography of both the neck and the upper airway demonstrate its clinical potential at these anatomic locations.