Bedside Ultrasound in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Newer Uses

Abstract

To explore recent advancements in the use of point-of-care ultrasound in the pediatric intensive care unit or during the perioperative period. Ultrasound is useful for selecting an appropriate endotracheal tube size, predicting postextubation stridor, assessing vocal cord paralysis, performing ultrasound-guided lung recruitment, assessing circulatory volume status, performing transcranial Doppler for assessment of cerebral perfusion, assessing intracranial hypertension, assessing central venous catheter tip position, and performing arterial line cannulation. There has been rapid progress in the use of point-of-care ultrasound in pediatric critical care, which can revolutionize daily clinical practice. However, further studies are required to verify that some of these areas of clinical application are translatable and scalable to widespread adoption.