Paper: A Comparison of Ultrasound and Chest Radiograph: Post Chest Tube Removal in the Cardiothoracic Patient Population (40th Biennial Convention (October 31st- November 4th, 2009))

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Sandra Saucier, NP-C, CSC
Nursing, Oakland University, Detroit, MI

Learning Objective 1: Understand that ultrasound is a valuable tool and can be used in everyday assessment of patients in the critical care unit.

Learning Objective 2: Understand that ultrasound is a safe efficient method of detecting pneumothorax and will help clinicians to be more efficient in making diagnoses.

Introduction: As critical care has grown so has the need for rapid accurate diagnosis and treatment of the critically ill patient. Lung ultrasound is a recent field of study. In order to extend critical care clinicians methods of diagnoses we propose the use of ultrasound for detection of pneumothorax post chest tube removal

The purpose of this study: is to validate the use of ultasound for detection of pneumothoraces post chest tube removal in the cardiothoracic patient population.

Nusing signifance: Advanced practice nurses can be pivotal in learning this innovative method of diagnosing in the critical care unit.

Study design: This is a prospective observational comparison study. A minimum of 50 subjects will participate in order to justify sampling.

Conclusions: Will ultrasound prove to be just as or more effective than the standard chest radiograph post chest tube removal.

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