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The major objective of this review was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in confirming tracheal intubation to the standard methods of confirmation in the intensive care unit (ICU).This systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies was conducted from inception to July 2022. We included studies that compared the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound-detected tracheal intubation to that of the gold standard diagnostic technique performed in adult patients who underwent tracheal intubation as part of any procedure. We searched the following electronic databases for published studies: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, and Web of Science. Risk of bias was assessed using a standard procedure based on the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 criteria. The results were analyzed using the RevMan or Meta-Disc software to determine the adequacy and conclusiveness of the available evidence.Five studies that included 344 patients met the inclusion criteria. Pooled sensitivity was 0.96 (95% confidence interval (CI) (0.92-0.98) and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.97-1.00), respectively. Furthermore, the diagnostic odds ratio of ultrasonography was 311.25 (95% CI: 63.77-1,519.22), which was confirmed by a summary receiver operating characteristic curve with an area under the curve of 0.98.Ultrasonography has high sensitivity and specificity, is a valuable adjunct for confirming tracheal intubation in the ICU and should be performed when capnography is unavailable or unreliable.

Fractures are commonly encountered in clinical practice. Early diagnosis and individualized treatment are the basis for achieving high-quality fracture healing and functional recovery. Radiographic examinations play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of fractures. In recent years, with the innovation in ultrasonic examination technology and equipment, its application in the diagnosis and treatment of fractures has greatly increased. Long bone, rib, radius and ulnar, metacarpal, cartilage, nasal bone, and occult are common fracture types. Ultrasound has long been used in fracture diagnosis and treatment. This narrative review summarizes and discusses the application of ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of fractures.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a critical disease commonly found in many clinical cases, with a mortality rate of approximately 50%. Early diagnosis and intervention are important for improving ARDS prognosis. In this study, the applications of lung ultrasound in ARDS diagnosis and assessment are reviewed to clarify its key clinical values and application prospects.According to the standard diagnosis of ARDS based on the Berlin definition, CXR or CT examination should be conducted. However, both the blurred images of the former, as well as the inconvenience and high risks of the latter, impose restrictions on their application in critically ill patients.Lung ultrasound was shown to improve safety, effectiveness, lacked radiation, can be performed bedside, and offers dynamic functionality.It may be a suitable approach to replace or complement traditional imaging examinations with lung ultrasound.

This study aimed at reviewing the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for detecting correct nasogastric tube placement compared with X-ray imaging as the reference standard.This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies published between 1961 and 2022. We included studies that compared the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound detection for nasogastric tube placement with that of X-ray imaging in adult patients who were undergoing nasogastric tube placement for any reason. We searched for published studies in the following electronic databases: Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. The risk of bias was assessed using a standard procedure according to the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 criteria. The results were analyzed using RevMan or Meta-Disc software to determine the adequacy and conclusiveness of the available evidence.Fourteen studies met our inclusion criteria. Overall, 1,812 patients were included in these studies. The results included a pooled sensitivity of 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.94-0.97), specificity of 0.91 (95% CI 0.85-0.96), positive likelihood ratio of 5.08 (95% CI 1.49-17.39), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.08 (95% CI 0.06-0.10). This was confirmed through a summary receiver operating characteristic curve, which showed that the area under the curve was 0.96.We found evidence about validity of ultrasound as an efficient method for verifying nasogastric tube placement, although there is insufficient evidence to suggest that it can be used as a diagnostic tool for incorrect gastric tube placement.

Enteral nutrition (EN) is the first-choice nutritional support, as it is more in line with normal physiological processes. During EN, the major goals to achieve include accurate confirmation of the feeding tube position, monitoring the gastric residual volume, assessing gastrointestinal motility, and monitoring the nutritional status of patients. With rapid development in technology, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become a more convenient and effective technical tool for monitoring critically ill patients receiving EN. In this review, we have summarized and discussed the value of POCUS in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of EN therapy to provide a reference for nutritional support of critically ill patients in critical care settings.This is a narrative review. A literature search for Scopus-indexed articles was performed randomly using PubMed and MEDLINE databases as the primary sources. No specific term was used for the search.POCUS can be used for positioning of nasogastric and nasointestinal tubes, evaluation of gastric residuals and gastrointestinal motility as well as monitoring of nutritional status.POCUS is a real-time, highly repeatable, radiation-free, and non-invasive visual inspection technique, with high application value in assessing the nutritional status of patients receiving EN and guiding the development of further nutritional treatment plans. It is an important diagnostic and monitoring tool that can be used by the clinicians in the ICU.

Short-axis out-of-plane (SA-OOP) and long-axis in-plane (LA-IP) are the two major approaches used in ultrasound (US)-guided radial arterial catheterization. Nevertheless, their efficacy and safety remain controversial. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed at comparing the two approaches for radial arterial catheterization.The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant articles published from database inception until December 2020. We selected randomized controlled trials comparing the short- and long-axis methods for US-guided radial artery catheterization. The results were analyzed using RevMan software to determine the adequacy and conclusiveness of the available evidence.Six studies (725 patients) ultimately met the inclusion criteria. No significant difference was observed between the SA-OOP and LA-IP approaches for US-guided radial artery catheterization (relative risk [RR], 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96-1.03; p =0.61; I2=0%). The first-attempt success rate was similar between the two groups (relative risk [RR], 1.02; 95% CI, 0.79-1.32; p =0.90; I2=87%). The incidence of hematoma formation was similar between the two groups (RR, 1.91; 95% CI, 0.66-5.56; p =0.24; I2=77%).The SA-OOP approach does not increase the total or first-attempt success rate of radial artery catheterization using the LA-IP approach. More highly powered well-designed trials are needed to evaluate additional outcomes.