ROLE OF CHEST SONOGRAPHY IN DIAGNOSING PNEUMOTHORAX: A CASE STUDY

Introduction: The use of ultrasound (US) in the diagnosis and treatment of patients is a well-established modality that has existed for many years. Objectives of the study: The main objective of the study is to find the role of chest sonography in diagnosing pneumothorax. Key issues: This case study was conducted in Jinnah Hospital, Lahore during July 2022. The data was collected from 10 patients with clinical and/or radiographic suspicion of pneumothorax; and patients with chest tube in-situ who required evaluation for residual pneumothorax. Results: The data was collected from 10 patients. The duration of complaints ranged from 1 hour to 1 month. On examination, evidence of chest trauma was seen in 7 (70%) cases. Mild subcutaneous emphysema was seen in 3 (30%) cases. Significant general physical examination findings were tachypnoea, fever, tachycardia and lymphadenopathy. Conclusion: It is concluded that chest ultrasonography can be used as a primary imaging modality for the diagnosis of pneumothorax in a vast array of clinical settings, as it has a high sensitivity and specificity.