Thoracic ultrasound: an important skill for respiratory physicians

We read with interest the article by Qureshi and colleagues describing thoracic ultrasound (TUS) characteristics for the detection of malignant pleural effusions.1 This relatively simple bedside technique has been routinely performed by the respiratory physicians in our department in a busy general hospital for the last 4 years, resulting in a gradual reduction in the number of radiology departmental procedures from 63 to 17 per annum. A recent audit of our activity showed that over a period of 18 …