Implementation of physiotherapy-led lung ultrasound in the intensive care unit
Jane Lockstone A * , Matt Brain B , Nadia Zalucki A and George Ntoumenopoulos CA Department of Physiotherapy, Launceston General Hospital, Tas., Australia.
B Department of Medicine, Launceston General Hospital, Tas., Australia.
C Department of Physiotherapy, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Australian Health Review 47(5) 614-618 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH23045
Submitted: 15 March 2023 Accepted: 7 June 2023 Published: 26 June 2023
Abstract
The use of lung ultrasound (LUS) in clinical settings is emerging as an important tool in the assessment of lung pathology and/or function and has gained considerable acceptance. LUS is being integrated into clinical care by trained respiratory physiotherapists and has been shown to influence physiotherapists’ clinical decision-making in the respiratory management of patients. Considering the use of LUS by physiotherapy is in its infancy and still evolving, there is likely variability in the ability and confidence of physiotherapists to use LUS in clinical practice, both in Australia and internationally. While the UK has had a rapid increase in the number of LUS-accredited physiotherapists (n = 111), the number of LUS-accredited physiotherapists in Australia remains very low (n = 4). There is a growing body of work in the UK on physiotherapy-led LUS in respiratory care, however, there is currently little work published on the practicalities of training and establishing physiotherapy-led LUS in Australia. This report describes the training and implementation of physiotherapy-led LUS in the intensive care unit from a regional hospital perspective.
Keywords: clinical pathways, education and training, intensive care, lung ultrasound, physiotherapy, respiratory care.
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