Maximizing Foreign Body Detection by Ultrasound With the Water Bath Technique Coupled With the Focal Zone Advantage: A Technical Report

Advancements in medical technology and clinician education have significantly improved ambulatory clinicians' access to bedside ultrasound. The presence of a foreign body can be identified on ultrasound as a hyperechoic disruption of soft tissue accompanied by posterior shadowing, reverberation artifact, and/or an anechoic halo. Although the literature discusses the utility of point-of-care ultrasound for foreign body identification and removal techniques, there is a gap in current literature advancing detection techniques for foreign bodies in small structures. This technical report highlights the role of the water bath technique while incorporating the focal zone to aid in the discovery of small objects in hands and feet.