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Clinicians typically rely on chest radiography (CXR) to diagnose pneumothorax in critical care patients who are at risk for pneumothorax from recent trauma, mechanical ventilation, or underlying lung disease. Several studies have tested ultrasound as an alternative to CXR in detecting pneumothorax (JW Emerg Med Aug 26 2011).
In a systematic review and meta-analysis, investigators assessed the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound and CXR for detecting pneumothorax. Studies were included if they tested CXR, ultrasound, or both; used a gold standard (e.g., computed tomography scan) for comparison; and predefined the diagnostic features that indicated pneumothorax. Ultimately, 20 studies were deemed acceptable for inclusion, according to a …