This is the basis of any lung examination.

 

This fundamental horizontal artifact demonstrates air in the thorax (living or dead air, the next sign will tell).

 

This sign demonstrates the physiological dynamic of the lung toward the chest wall. It gives in M-mode the seashore sign.

 

There are signs of pleural effusion and lung consolidation. The concept of PLAPS makes one sign of four, resulting in expediting the BLUE-protocol and its learning curve.

 

Defined by three B-lines (or more) between two ribs, these fundamental artifacts indicate interstitial syndrome. Diffuse lung rockets indicate diffuse interstitial syndrome, of prime relevance in the critically ill.

 

It suggests pneumothorax (as well as a multitude of other conditions). This is demonstrated using the vision, in real-time. If needed, the M-mode confirms the trouble, displaying the stratosphere sign.

 

This sign, showing sudden lung signs at a given area, is pathognomonic to pneumothorax.

 

The dynamic air bronchogram and the lung pulse, are not used in the BLUE-protocol. They are of high relevance in more advanced levels of LUCI, since they allow to distinguish infections from atelectatic lungs, schematically and among other uses.

Countless other signs can be described on structural patterns, i.e., among others, septations within effusions and necrosis within consolidations.

 

“Lung sliding” is not really the opposite of “abolished lung sliding.” Lung sliding is a basic sign seen in some diseases (mainly pulmonary embolism); abolished lung sliding is seen in other diseases (mainly pneumothorax). In a shocked patient, lung sliding indicates particular diseases more than others. This makes ten signs all in all.