Ultrasound Scanner and Pleural Effusion Diagnosis

Pleural effusion sometimes referred to as “water on the lungs,” is the build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs. The pleura are thin membranes that line the lungs and the inside of the chest cavity and act to lubricate and facilitate breathing. Normally, a small amount of fluid is present in the pleura.

Pleural effusions are very common, with approximately 100,000 cases diagnosed in the United States each year, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Depending on the cause, the excess fluid may be either protein-poor (transudative) or protein-rich (exudative). These two categories help physicians determine the cause of the pleural effusion.

The most common causes of transudative (watery fluid) pleural effusions include:

• Heart failure

• Pulmonary embolism

• Cirrhosis

• Post open heart surgery

Some patients with pleural effusion have no symptoms, with the condition discovered on a chest x-ray that is performed for another reason. The patient may have unrelated symptoms due to the disease or condition that has caused the effusion. Symptoms of pleural effusion include:

• Chest pain

• Dry, nonproductive cough

• Dyspnea (shortness of breath, or difficult, labored breathing)

• Orthopnea (the inability to breathe easily unless the person is sitting up straight or standing erect)

When it comes to diagnosis procedures, ultrasound equipment is especially useful when the pleural effusion is small or loculated. Ultrasound examination allows the identification of the best site to perform the puncture and the measurement of the depth of the adjacent organs in order to avoid organ injury.

In fact, Bedside ultrasound has proved superior to radiography for this condition as it has demonstrated a sensitivity of 93%, compared with 39% for radiography.

Even though studies proved ultrasound scanning efficacy, not all scan devices can provide a clear and accurate diagnosis. That is, a lot depends on the scanning device being used during the examination. It should be professional enough to guarantee a perfectly clear imaging quality that would, later on, help doctors determine in which exact stage the patient is and what’s the best treatment might suit him.

In this regard, the high-resolution Convex and Linear Color Doppler wireless Double Head Ultrasound Scanner CLCD should be our first recommendation.

This innovative color wireless ultrasound scanner has two heads, thus, making it more practical and more affordable than buying two separate single-headed probes, the two of which are highly needed during this complex examination procedure.

The convex side of the color doppler transducer is used for in-depth examinations of the internal parts of the body like the lungs and so it is convenient for examining Pleural Effusion issue.

In fact, the CLCD ultrasound equipment was created specifically for pulmonologists to produce colored lung images and transfer them to their and their patients’ phones or tablet screens so that both parties are fully aware of the severity of the problem and can discuss the best treatment options in complete transparency.

Plus, the device is IOS and Android compatible. Small and light, easy to carry, and easy to operate. In other words, the CLCD does not compensate for the colored image quality.

To sum up, the ultrasound equipment CLCD should be the first choice for pulmonologists and patients with Pleural Effusion, especially as it is primarily built to observe key internal organs like the lung. As a result, patients should not be concerned because they will be presented with correct scan imagery, resulting in a safer and speedier examination. For patients with Pleural Effusion, our medical-technical team highly recommend theConvex and Linear Color Doppler wireless Double Head Ultrasound Scanner CLCD.

Reference: Pleural Effusion Causes, Signs & Treatment

Disclaimer: Although the information we provide is used by different doctors and medical staff to perform their procedures and clinical applications, the information contained in this article is for consideration only. SONOSIF is not responsible neither for the misuse of the device nor for the wrong or random generalizability of the device in all clinical applications or procedures mentioned in our articles. Users must have the proper training and skills to perform the procedure with each ultrasound scanner device.

The products mentioned in this article are only for sale to medical staff (doctors, nurses, certified practitioners, etc.) or to private users assisted by or under the supervision of a medical professional.