Ultrasound in austere settings: A case report from a field hospital in Haiti

This case report from a field hospital in post-earthquake Haiti underscores the utility of portable ultrasound in austere environments. An 8-year-old boy was evaluated for several weeks of fevers and chills, general malaise, and increasing abdominal girth. He appeared ill with mild tachypnea, decreased breath sounds at bilateral lung bases, a distended abdomen with a palpable fluid wave, and bilateral pitting edema. This clinical picture was concerning for advanced schistosomiasis and ultrasound findings supported this presumptive diagnosis and helped direct treatment. Images from this case demonstrated several classic ultrasound findings described by the WHO including hepatosplenomegaly and diffuse fibrotic changes in the hepatobiliary and urogenital tracts. This case report demonstrates the effective use of portable ultrasound in making an accurate diagnosis and forming a definitive treatment plan for a patient in a resource-limited environment. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.