Lung Ultrasound Virtual Tour
Move through a bedside scanning journey—from probe selection and normal lung to B-lines, pneumothorax, consolidation and pleural effusion.
Enter the lung ultrasound bay
POCUS lung assessment answers focused clinical questions at the bedside. It complements—not replaces—history, examination, formal imaging and specialist review.
Recognize core sonographic patterns, connect them with physiology and avoid single-sign diagnosis.
- Confirm patient identity and indication.
- Position safely and expose only the area required.
- Use clean equipment and appropriate infection control.
- Scan both lungs systematically and document findings.
Choose the probe and optimize the image
Linear-probe starting point
Place the marker cephalad in a longitudinal intercostal view. Start shallow enough to display ribs, pleural line and reverberation artifacts.
Turn off tissue harmonics and compounding when they suppress artifacts needed for lung interpretation. Use the lowest acoustic output and shortest exposure compatible with an adequate exam.
Walk the scanning zones
Use a consistent protocol appropriate to the clinical question. Select a hotspot to rehearse probe placement.
Systematic scanning prevents blind spots
Anterior zones are accessible in a supine patient. Add lateral and posterior zones whenever feasible, particularly when looking for dependent consolidation or pleural fluid.
Recognize a normal aerated lung pattern
A-lines with lung sliding support normally aerated lung at that location, but do not exclude all pulmonary disease.
Follow B-lines from pleura to depth
A B-line is a bright vertical artifact arising from the pleural line, extending to the bottom of the screen without fading, erasing A-lines and moving with lung sliding.
Describe number or proportion, distribution, pleural appearance, symmetry, focality and associated findings. B-lines are not specific to cardiogenic pulmonary edema.
Build the pneumothorax case logically
Normal M-mode
Seashore appearance.
No sliding
Barcode/stratosphere pattern is supportive but not diagnostic by itself.
Look for tissue-like lung and air bronchograms
Key signs
- Subpleural tissue-like or “hepatized” echotexture.
- Shred/fractal boundary where consolidated and aerated lung meet.
- Air bronchograms; dynamic movement supports patent bronchi and can favor pneumonia.
- Assess pleura, vascularity and associated effusion.
Ultrasound detects consolidation that reaches the pleural surface; central lesions separated by aerated lung may be missed.
Find fluid above the diaphragm
In a dependent thoracic view, pleural fluid is usually anechoic or hypoechoic between parietal and visceral pleura, above the diaphragm. Complex echoes, septations or pleural thickening alter the differential.
Integrate patterns into the clinical pathway
This simplified pathway illustrates pattern recognition. It is not a stand-alone diagnostic algorithm.
Vital signs, ECG, cardiac POCUS, DVT assessment, laboratory data, chest radiography/CT when indicated, treatment response and expert review.
Knowledge check
Build probe skill on live models and real clinical cases
Virtual learning supports preparation, but competence requires hands-on scanning, feedback, image review and local credentialing.