RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Counting ribs and thoracic levels under ultrasound: a systematized technical protocol for both posterior and anterior approaches
JF Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine
JO Reg Anesth Pain Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 452
OP 454
DO 10.1136/rapm-2020-102050
VO 46
IS 5
A1 Mark Friedrich B Hurdle
A1 Guilherme Ferreira-Dos-Santos
A1 Raul Rosario-Concepcion
A1 Laura V Gil
A1 Jason S Eldrige
A1 Steven R Clendenen
YR 2021
UL http://rapm.bmj.com/content/46/5/452.abstract
AB Over the last two decades, the clinical applications of diagnostic and interventional ultrasound have expanded rapidly. When analyzing the chest wall and thoracic region, ultrasound has previously been shown to reliably identify chest wall pathologies like rib fracture and slipping rib syndrome, as well as having fundamentally changed perioperative management and patient outcomes after the emergence of point-of-care ultrasound. In addition, ultrasound guidance has recently become more popular for multiple blocks in the field of regional anesthesia and pain medicine. In this technical report, we systematize an ultrasound-guided protocol for counting ribs and thoracic levels for both posterior and anterior approaches, which does not require level confirmation by fluoroscopy. With this protocol, we hope to create an effective educational resource to support physicians from any specialty background as they engage in point-of-care ultrasound applications in the thoracic region.