TITLE:
Chest Ultrasound versus Chest X-Ray in Children with Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
AUTHORS:
Elham Saad Ellithey Elkhazragy, Saneya Abdel Halim Fahmy, Mona Sayed Mohammad Attaya, Ashraf Mohammad Abd Elrahman
KEYWORDS:
Lung, Ultrasound, Radiology, X-Ray, Pneumonia, Respiratory Infection
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.11 No.4,
November
2,
2021
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.