Study of lung ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool in childhood pneumonia

Objective The aim of this study was to compare chest ultrasonography with chest radiography (CXR) in the diagnosis of children with pneumonia. Background In Egypt, pneumonia and other acute respiratory infections were the causes of death in ∼19% of children younger than 5 years. According to current guidelines, pneumonia is diagnosed by clinical history, respiratory rate, fever, respiratory signs, and symptoms. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 60 patients with fever and signs of respiratory distress, and they were divided in two groups: group I with pneumonia, which included 45 patients who were finally diagnosed as having clinically evident pneumonia, and group II without pneumonia, which included 15 patients who did not have pneumonia. Full history taken, clinical examination, laboratory investigations, CXR, and chest ultrasonography were done. Results There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding age, birth order, weight, residence, parent's education, and employment. C-reactive protein level was higher in pneumonia group than nonpneumonia group (P < 0.001). Lung ultrasonography could detect consolidation in more than one lobe than CXR, which was statistically significant (P = 0.048). Conclusion Chest ultrasonography offers an important contribution to the diagnostic procedures of pleuropulmonary disorders in children, such as pneumonia and pleural effusion, with higher sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive index compared with CXR.