SonoKids TROPICS

Ultrasound (US) has vast potential in the field of infectious diseases, especially so in resource-limited settings. Recent technological advances have increased availability and access to ultrasound in low-resource settings, where the burden of infectious diseases is greatest. This paper collates the evidence for the utilization of ultrasound and evaluates its effectiveness in the diagnosis and management of a range of infectious diseases. This paper explores the role of ultrasound in population-based screening for specific diseases as well as highlights its benefits for individual patient management...

BACKGROUND: Parasitic infections pose a significant health risk in developing nations and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the Republic of Tanzania, the CDC estimates that 51.5% of the population is infected with one or more intestinal parasites. If diagnosed early, the consequences of chronic parasitic infection can potentially be avoided. METHODS: Six first-year medical students were recruited to enroll patients in the study. They underwent ten hours of formal, hands-on, ultrasound which included basic cardiac, hepatobiliary, renal, pulmonary and FAST scan ultrasound...

The development of good quality and affordable ultrasound machines has led to the establishment and implementation of numerous point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) protocols in various medical disciplines. POCUS for major infectious diseases endemic in tropical regions has received less attention, despite its likely even more pronounced benefit for populations with limited access to imaging infrastructure. Focused assessment with sonography for HIV-associated TB (FASH) and echinococcosis (FASE) are the only two POCUS protocols for tropical infectious diseases, which have been formally investigated and which have been implemented in routine patient care today...

UNLABELLED: CNS Tuberculosis can manifest as meningitis, arachnoiditis and a tuberculoma. The rupture of a tubercle into the subarachnoid space leads to Tuberculosis Meningitis (TBME); the resulting hypersensitivity reaction can lead to an elevation of the intracranial pressure and hydrocephalus. While bedside optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) ultrasonography (USG) can be a sensitive screening test for elevated intracranial pressure in adult head injury, little is known regarding ONSD measurements in Tuberculosis Meningitis...

OBJECTIVE: To describe the outcomes and curriculum components of an educational programme to train non-physician clinicians working in a rural, Ugandan emergency department in the use of POC ultrasound. METHODS: The use of point-of-care ultrasound was taught to emergency care providers through lectures, bedsides teaching and hands-on practical sessions. Lectures were tailored to care providers' knowledge base and available therapeutic means. Every ultrasound examination performed by these providers was recorded over 4...

BACKGROUND: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a major public health concern in developing countries, and routine screening has the potential to improve outcomes. Standard portable echocardiography (STAND) is far more sensitive than auscultation for the detection of RHD but remains cost-prohibitive in resource-limited settings. Handheld echocardiography (HAND) is a lower-cost alternative. The purpose of this study was to assess the incremental value of HAND over auscultation to identify RHD...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Scorpion stings are a common emergency in India and many other tropical countries. In India, the red scorpions are more prevalent, and their venom is more likely to cause myocardial dysfunctions. There are very few studies conducted on this problem. The following study was done in Andhra Pradesh and aimed to identify cardiovascular complications of scorpion stings in children with a follow-up of 6 months. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study...

Ileal intussusception is the invagination of the small intestine within itself and accounts for 1% of cases of acute obstruction. However, physicians do not initially consider intussusception as a possible diagnosis of obstruction due to its rarity in adults. Herein, we report the case of a 22-year-old male who was admitted to the Emergency Department with continuous abdominal pain. Ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed an ileal intussusception. The patient underwent surgical removal of the segment of the small bowel...

Ascaris lumbricoides infection is rare among children in developed countries. Although large numbers of adult Ascaris in the small intestine can cause various abdominal symptoms, this infection remains asymptomatic until the number of worms in the intestine considerably increases in most cases. Ascaris causing bilious vomiting suggesting ileus is rare, especially in developed countries. A 6-year-old boy who lived in Japan, presented with abdominal colic, bilious vomiting at the pediatric emergency room. He appeared pale, and had no abdominal distention, tenderness, palpable abdominal mass, or findings of dehydration...

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Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) remains a challenge in the pediatric population because of the lack of sputum production for laboratory analysis. Chest radiography is used in the diagnosis of pulmonary TB and the hallmark of diagnosis is the demonstration of hilar or mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Point-of-care sonography of the mediastinum is an alternative to chest radiography in detection of tuberculous lymph nodes. In the rural district health care setting US is often the most commonly available imaging modality and its mobility makes it possible to examine patients at the point of care, reducing the need for patients to travel to a regional hospital to acquire a chest radiograph...

Myiasis, or the infiltration of the botfly larvae, is a relatively frequent problem encountered by travelers to parts of Latin America. This is a novel case report that documents a Dermatobia hominis infestation of the left facial region with secondary periorbital cellulitis diagnosed by point-of-care ultrasonography.

Point-of-care ultrasound use is rapidly growing in acute-care settings such as pediatric emergency departments, and new applications are continually being explored. This is especially true in the developing world where the World Health Organization estimates that 75% of people have no access to any imaging or availability of more costly imaging technology may be limited (Essential Health Technologies Strategy 2004-2007). We report a case of intestinal roundworm infection in a 3-year-old boy and describe the ultrasound findings of Ascaris lumbricoides...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether hand-carried ultrasound technology may be valuable in the assessment of children with acute malaria. Every year, approximately 800,000 children under the age of 5 yrs die of complications of Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection. The advent of hand-carried ultrasound technology has made diagnostic ultrasonography possible in underresourced settings. DESIGN: We performed a pilot observational study collecting clinical data and performing ultrasound examinations on children diagnosed with P...