The value of chest ultrasonography in diagnosing pneumothorax in patients with trauma

摘要

Dr Baumann, in his editorial in CHEST (October 2011), comments on the higher sensitivity of ultrasonography compared with chest radiography in the detection of pneumothorax, as reported in a meta-analysis by Ding et al published in the same issue of the journal. He also suggests that more prospective, randomized studies are needed to demonstrate the comparative clinical effectiveness of ultrasonography. From our perspective as emergency physicians treating patients with trauma, the current available evidence seems to suggest that there is little value in incorporating chest ultrasonography in the evaluation of patients with blunt chest injury.