Background:

Ultrasonography performed by non-radiological specialists is a tool that contributes to the diagnosis and monitoring of neurocritical patients, as well as being an economic, precise, non-invasive tool that can be performed at the head of the patient, considering that the vast majority of neurocritical patients are in hemodynamic instability. Ultrasound is defined as a series of mechanical waves, usually longitudinal, originated by the vibration of an elastic body (piezoelectric crystal) and propagated by a material medium (body tissues), whose frequency exceeds that of the audible sound by the human: 20,000 cycles/second or 20 kilohertz (20 KHz). Some of the parameters that are often used in ultrasound are: frequency, velocity of propagation, interaction of ultrasound with tissues, angle of incidence, attenuation and frequency of repetition of pulses.

Objective:

To correlate, the measurement of the deviation of the cerebral midline by ultrasound (USG), with the «standard gold», computed axial tomography (CT).

Material and methods:

An observational, prospective, longitudinal, comparative, analytical study was performed. The measurement was obtained in 22 patients of the mean deviation of the cerebral line by CAT and USG with different neurological pathologies.

Results:

A mean of 6.81 mm of mean deviation of the cerebral midline was obtained for patients who were measured by ultrasound technique and mean of 6.63 mm for patients measured by computerized axial computed tomography. It was correlated by Pearson obtaining a correlation of 0.774 (95% CI) which is significant.

Discussion:

We propose the measurement of the deviation of the cerebral midline by transcranial ultrasound as a rapid method, at the head of the patient, which generates few costs and can replace the lack of a CT. It can be included as a quick measure to decide on surgical management if there is mass effect, hypertensive skull or neurological targeting and we do not have available tomography. The implication contrary to this meaning is that there must be a previous training of the personnel for the realization of transcranial ultrasound since it is a «dependent» operator.

Conclusion:

The measurement of the midline by ultrasound and cranial tomography are significantly correlated, so the use of transcranial ultrasound can be an instrument of assessment in case of not having a tomograph, although a larger number is required of studies to be conclusive.

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