Lung Disease in the ICU: A Difficult Diagnostic Challenge

Abstract

Determining the cause of lung disease in the critically ill is often a frustrating task. Numerous primary diseases may affect the lung and systemic disorder (e.g. sepsis, ARDS) may affect the lung independently or may superimpose on a preexisting lung disorder. Evaluation is also made more difficult by various therapeutic maneuvers (e.g. artificial ventilation, tracheal bronchial toilet) which alter the appearance of the radiograph. Despite these problems, an understanding of both the timing, radiographic appearance, and progression of these lesions is extremely helpful in sorting out the various etiologies. A constant dialogue between the radiologist and clinical team is required to maximize information and minimize the number of imaging procedures (1).