Use of Lung Ultrasound versus Chest X-ray in Diagnosing Heart Failure in the Emergency Care Setting: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Acute heart failure (HF) is initially diagnosed and managed in the large part in the emergency care setting. Lung ultrasound (LUS) and chest X-ray (CXR) are the most common diagnostic and prognostic techniques for people with HF. It has been observed that lung ultrasonography has a higher sensitivity for diagnosing HF than CXR. In this review, we assess the comparison between the use of LUS and CXR in diagnosing HF. Methods: An extended search was done in the databases of PubMed, Medline, Wiley library, and Google Scholar between 2012 and 2022. Fifteen studies were included in this systematic review. Studies, in which the sensitivity of LUS and CXR was noted, were included. Results: Fifteen studies were included. The majority of the studies showed that LUS had high sensitivity and accuracy for detecting HF. Conclusion: The result of the present review shows that the sensitivity of the LUS was higher than those of the CXR in detecting HF. Ultrasound has certain advantages over CXR.