How Lung Ultrasound helps Detect Pneumonia

According to report published in the peer reviewed scientific journal Pediatrics Neonatology, investigators suggested that the lung ultrasound (LUS) can serves as a helpful tool to detect the presence and progression of pneumonia in pediatric aged children.

A study was performed to know if LUS can be helpful in identifying pneumonia in children by the researchers of Taiwan. Around 163 children (with a mean age of 73.2 months) were included in the study and all of them went through chest radiography and LUS.

The result for detection rate was 0.93 for radiography and 0.98 for LUS. 152 patients were detected to have pneumonia by radiography while LUS detected 159 cases and 12 patients were shown lesions by LUS while no signs detected by radiography.

LUS was noticed the progress of size of the patch in 23 patients. Based on the classic findings of LUS; Comet-tail sign had 50.9%, air bronchograms had 93.7 percent, fluid bronchograms had 20.1 percent, vascular pattern had 28.9 percent and pleural effusion had 27 percent LUS positive rates.

The authors concluded that LUS can save the children from exposure to ionizing radiation, as it is a tool that complements the chest radiography in the diagnosis of pneumonia. Investigators suggested that utilizing this tool will enable the physicians in confirming the diagnosis and severity of illness without predisposing the kids to the hazardous effects of powerful radiations.