Point-of-care ultrasound improves care for chest patients
Dr Angshu Bhowmik routinely uses point-of-care ultrasound to help guide pleural procedures.
Ultrasound guidance is now routinely used for pleural procedures, with current British Thoracic Society guidelines stating that all pleural drain insertions and aspirations should be performed using the technique.
Consultant chest physician specialising in lung cancer and COPD at Homerton University Hospital Dr Angshu Bhowmik describes the benefits of point-of-care ultrasound for clinicians and patients: “I first started using ultrasound in my practice in 2008, following the publication of several papers highlighting the potential safety improvements for chest drains and biopsies.
“Although most of my generation of registrars and consultants had been successfully performing these procedures blind’ for many years, ultrasound allows you to visualise any unusual anatomical features, such as an enlarged heart or pleural thickening, reducing risks and improving success rates,” he explained. “We put together a business case based on this safety benefit, and chose a highly portable Fujifilm SonoSite system to meet our needs.”
See the full report on page 29 of the April 2017 issue of RAD Magazine.
