Introduction:
Traumatic injuries have posed severe public health consequences of mountable proportions globally, accounting for death’s principal cause in the early years of life. Chest injuries make up to 25% of all trauma-induced causalities.1,2
Pneumothorax makes up 85% of chest trauma-related cases. It results in greater mortality frequency and morbid conditions, resulting in an extended hospital stay burdened with health service expenditure and decreased productivity.3
It is vital to diagnose pneumothorax patients quickly, as drainage of the chest may be lifesaving. The first diagnostic technique is the Chest X rays if clinical examination does not point towards thoracostomy. But literature evidence demonstrates lesser sensitivity of this method, along with other demerits like exposure to radiation and requiring patient mobilisation.4-6
Chest ultrasound has gained popularity off late owing to its portability, speed, and easy reproducibility. Additionally, it carries the advantage of not using radiation and allowing real-time scanning and interpretation. It is successfully used in diagnosing Pneumothorax in recent years in case of emergency demands.7,8Additionally, ultrasound has emerged as an alternative to chest radiographs because of its high specificity and sensitivity. Hence, this review and analysis were undertaken to evaluate chest ultrasound diagnostic accuracy in the pneumothorax patients’ emergency diagnosis.