Abstract

The use of ultrasound in the prehospital setting, both in adults and children, is based on the concept of focused, limited point-of-care ultrasound with clearly defined applications, which means that the user must know the set of indications, standardised performance and binary interpretation of the ultrasound examination. Children in the pre-hospital area benefit from half a dozen applications, mainly focused on causes of respiratory failure; pneumothorax, pleural effusion or haemorrhage, lung consolidation, interstitial lung diseases (e.g., pneumonia), preload (inferior vena cava), pericardial effusion and free fluid in the peritoneal cavity.

Key words: ultrasound, POCUS, paediatrics, prehospital medicine, emergency medicine