Abstract
Due to their availability and the precision of the method, lung and pleural cavity ultrasounds are not only an important part of the initial diagnostic evaluation, but also everyday bedside rounds in the intensive care unit. Daniel Lichtenstein's BLUE protocol provides a comprehensive look at the diagnosis of sudden-onset dyspnea.
An ultrasound of intact lungs shows the movement of pleural lines in the breathing cycle (pleural sliding). Reverberation of the pleural lines (A lines) is present upon examination of healthy lungs.
Lung sliding is absent in pneumothorax, and lung oedema presents an image of "lung rockets".