Role of Chest Ultrasound in Detection of Post-operative Pulmonary Complications After Cardiothoracic Surgery

Role of Chest Ultrasound in Detection of Post-operative Pulmonary Complications After Cardiothoracic Surgery

• assess feasibility of detecting pulmonary complications postoperative using chest ultrasound compared to chest x-ray
• measure time lag between using ultrasound and using chest x-ray to detect pulmonary complications postoperative

It is well known that cardiothoracic surgery causes different types of pulmonary complications like residual pleural effusion and pneumothorax therefore it is common that surgeons make a thoracic drainage by introducing intercostal tubes for evacuation of air and fluid from the pleural space. Complications extend to involve the parenchymal pulmonary tissue causing consolidation or involve the interstitial tissue .all these complications affect the postoperative recovery.

As a classical technique a daily chest X-ray is performed from first day of surgical intervention to hospital discharge to assess the amount of residual pleural effusion so drainage removal can be done or not and also assess other pulmonary complications.

However, chest X-rays are costly, exposing patients and health care workers to ionizing radiation requiring patient movement with chest drains, difficult positioning of the patient to get good films, and time consuming.

On the other hand, using chest ultrasound is a good alternative for chest X-ray because it is a bedside, easier, more sensitive and accurate in detection of pulmonary complications.

Its main advantages represented in avoiding the danger of ionizing radiations, easier device portability, low cost and a rapid learning curve.

So it is easy and less time consuming to correlate between ultrasound findings and clinical data and assist in invasive procedures.

Hypothesis that detecting pulmonary complications postoperative using chest ultrasound is easier, more sensitive and accurate compared to chest X-ray.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery at Assiut University Hospital include CABG, Valve replacement, minimal invasive cardiac surgeries, thoracic surgeries as open thoracotomy and VATS surgeries and others.
• Age >18yrs: 80yrs.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients <18yr and >80yrs.
• patient refused to be enrolled in research
• patient with subcutaneous emphysema