Abstract
Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children during early childhood. Lung ultrasound is a relatively simple bedside method helping early diagnosis of these conditions. Purpose: To compare the findings of chest X-ray (CXR) and of lung ultrasound (LUS) among children with lower respiratory tract infections. Subjects and Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study that included 100 children aged 6 months to 6 years with lower respiratory tract infections and 100 healthy age- and sex-matched children (controls). Included children were recruited from Mansoura University children hospital during the period from September 2020 to June 2021. Detailed findings of chest X-ray and lung ultrasound were compared. Results: Among 100 patients with LRTIs, the diagnosis of pneumonia, bronchiolitis and bronchitis were reported in 41%, 36% and 23% of cases respectively. Lung ultrasound was more sensitive than chest X-ray for diagnosing pneumonia (97.6% for LUS vs. 92.7% for CXR) and bronchiolitis (91.7% for LUS vs. 77.8% for CXR). Conclusion: Lung ultrasound is a sensitive tool for the assessment of lower respiratory tract infections. Further steps for application and validation are recommended.
Highlights
Lung ultrasound was more sensitive than chest X-ray for diagnosing pneumonia (97.6% for lung ultrasound (LUS) vs. 92.7% for CXR) and bronchiolitis (91.7% for LUS vs. 77.8% for CXR)
Regarding lung ultrasound findings among the case group, we found that the most frequent finding was consolidation (42%) followed by numerous B lines (31%)
Among studies that evaluated lung ultrasound in relation to Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), there is a great heterogeneity found across individual studies and a reliable reference standard is absent, which make a longitudinal comparison between different studies very difficult
Summary
Lower respiratory tract infections (bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia) are the cause of a considerable number of pediatric emergency room visits [3]. Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children during early childhood. Purpose: To compare the findings of chest X-ray (CXR) and of lung ultrasound (LUS) among children with lower respiratory tract infections. Subjects and Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study that included 100 children aged 6 months to 6 years with lower respiratory tract infections and 100 healthy age- and sex-matched children (controls). Lung ultrasound was more sensitive than chest X-ray for diagnosing pneumonia (97.6% for LUS vs 92.7% for CXR) and bronchiolitis (91.7% for LUS vs 77.8% for CXR).
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