For decades there was a belief in medicine that ultrasound is useless in examining air-filled organs. Recent studies in human medicine, especially since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, have shown amazing potential and possibilities for using this tool. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is also applicable in veterinary patients. LUS is useful both in emergencies for a quick assessment (FAST examination) in patients with acute respiratory failure and as a part of diagnostic evaluation of respiratory diseases.
LUS is a great tool to differentiate between cardiogenic and non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. It works well in the differential diagnosis of respiratory diseases (most often associated with a chronic cough). The advantage of this examination is the independence and speed of determining the cause of dyspnea in emergencies, the picture is usually unequivocal, which also translates into the effectiveness of the condition assessment. It allows you to easily monitor the effectiveness of the treatment of chronic patients and the condition of hospitalized patients. In contrast to the X-ray examination, the time to determine the cause is incomparably short, and the position of the animal during the examination is unforced, which is especially important in emergencies and dyspneic patients.