Value of Transthoracic Ultrasonography (TTU) for Etiological Diagnosis of Acute Dyspnea: Cross Sectional Study

Value of Transthoracic Ultrasonography (TTU) for Etiological Diagnosis of Acute Dyspnea: Cross Sectional Study

Evaluating the capability and efficiency of transthoracic ultrasound in attempting to identify the etiology of acute dyspnea.

Acute dyspnea is a frequent challenge for physicians due to having multiple etiologies, leading to difficulty in establishing an accurate diagnosis.

The presence of this symptom is already a predictor of increased mortality and a lot of investigations are required to differentiate between etiologies. Hence, prompt diagnosis is needed to streamline these patients' appropriate management and disposition from the ED.

Transthoracic ultrasound has traditionally been used for the detection of pleural effusion and evaluation of the chest wall, but the indications have been expanded.

The gold standard imaging technique for the majority of pulmonary disorders is high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), but it has negatives which are:

• hazard of ionizing radiation
• high cost
• being nonportable

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinical history of acute dyspnea

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subcutaneous emphysema.
• Patients with more than 24 h interval between HRCT and TTU.
• Patients with poor-quality of TTU image.