Experience in the use of lung ultrasound in patients of the respiratory hospital of Siberian State Medical University with COVID-19 pneumonia

Abstract

Aim. To evaluate the possibility of using lung ultrasound for diagnosing COVID-19 pneumonia in patients of the respiratory hospital of Siberian State Medical University (SSMU).Materials and methods. An analysis of lung ultrasound data was carried out in 39 patients (17 men and 22 women aged 33–78 years) with COVID-19 pneumonia. Lung ultrasound was performed in all patients in addition to radiography performed at the prehospital stage and in 15 patients who underwent computed tomography (CT) of the lungs.Results. In the majority (61.6%) of cases, during the ultrasound examination, COVID-19 pneumonia manifested itself as interstitial lung disease. The white lung phenomenon and a combination of the aforementioned interstitial changes were recorded with the same frequency (5.1%), while pulmonary consolidation in addition to interstitial changes was visualized in 10.2% of cases. Interstitial lung disease was bilateral in 83.3% of patients and unilateral in 16.7% of cases. The inferior lobes of the lungs were affected in 60.0% of cases, middle lobe – in 30.0% of cases, and superior lobes – in 15.0% of patients. The ultrasound examination detected changes in the lungs in 32 patients, while radiographic changes were present in 35 cases. Bilateral inflammation was more often detected by radiography than by ultrasound. When comparing the data of lung ultrasound and CT, the agreement between the methods was found in 66.7% of cases, and the discrepancy between the findings of the two methods was observed mainly in patients with a large number of affected segments of the lungs and localization of the disease in the superior lobes according to CT.Conclusion. Lung ultrasound is a valuable tool that can be used to stratify risk in patients at any stage of diagnosis and treatment in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic due to availability, speed of implementation, and the absence of a need for patient transportation.