Extracranial cribside sonography in infants

In 29 real-time ultrasonic studies of infants in the intensive care nursery, the technique either accurately diagnosed or led directly to the correct diagnosis in 27 (93%). Twenty-four of these infants had suspected abnormality in the abdomen or pelvis, three had congestive heart failure and bruits, one had respiratory distress and an opacified hemithorax on chest roentgenogram, and one was a child with ambiguous genitalia in whom sonography identified a uterus. We suggest that portable, real-time ultrasonography is an ideal modality with which to study seriously ill infants whose medical condition precludes transport to the radiology department.