Lung ultrasonography in pneumonia

Aim. In order to optimize the diagnosis of pneumonia by including lung ultrasonography in the diagnostic algorithm for pneumonia, the main ultrasound signs of inflammatory infiltration of the lungs were identified, depending on the form of morphological substrate, and the capabilities of ultrasound examination in monitoring pneumonia were evaluated.Material and Methods. A total of 96 patients were admitted to hospital by emergency to rule out/to confirm pneumonia based on X-ray diagnosis of this pathology in 81 persons. Ultrasonic examination was performed in all patients at a day of admission to hospital. Dynamics in inflammatory infiltrate was evaluated in 55 patients at days 3-4, 7, and 10-14 of hospital stay.Results. The ultrasonic signs of inflammatory infiltrate were found in 55 of 96 patients with prevalent ultrasound pattern of pleuropneumonia (n=48; 50%) and bronchopneumonia in a smaller number of patients (n=7; 8.6%). The results of ultrasonography showed the low sensitivity (69.7%) and significantly high specificity (100%) rates of the method in detecting pneumonia. Positive dynamics in ultrasonic monitoring of pneumonia was detected in the overwhelming number of patients (n=45; 81.8%) at day 3 of hospitalization. Negative dynamics (n=3; 5.5%) was observed at days 3 and 7 of the study.Conclusion. Ultrasonic study may be considered a useful step in the diagnostic algorithm for patients with pneumonia as this method provides additional information for an attending physician and does not involve adverse effects of ionizing radiation on patient's body. Since the ultrasonic data on positive and negative dynamics of pneumonia were received ahead of the results of standard control radiography and were verified by further clinical and radiological observations, the role of ultrasonic monitoring of the inflammatory infiltrate was essential for evaluation of the efficacy of antibiotic therapy at earlier time.