Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Pierre Viars, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, University Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 6, France. belaid.bouhemad@psl.ap-hop-paris.fr
Lung ultrasound can be routinely performed at the bedside by intensive care unit physicians and may provide accurate information on lung status with diagnostic and therapeutic relevance. This article reviews the performance of bedside lung ultrasound for diagnosing pleural effusion, pneumothorax, alveolar-interstitial syndrome, lung consolidation, pulmonary abscess and lung recruitment/derecruitment in critically ill patients with acute lung injury.