Routine Application of Lung Ultrasonography in Respiratory Care: Knowledge, Perceptions, and Barriers to Instigate

Jithin K Sreedharan,1 Manjush Karthika,2 Jaber S Alqahtani,1 Saad M AlRabeeah,1 Musallam Alnasser,1 Abdullah S Alqahtani,1 Mohammed D AlAhmari,1 Arulanantham Zechariah Jebakumar,3 Meshal AlEnezi,1 Abdullah A Ghazwani,1 Chris Sara Mathew,2 Abdulelah M Aldhahir,4 Suresh G Nair5 1Department of Respiratory Care, Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; 2Respiratory Care, Department of Health and Medical Sciences, Khawarizmi International College, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 3Vice Deanship of Postgraduate Studies and Research, Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; 4Respiratory Therapy Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Aster Medicity, Kochi, Kerala, IndiaCorrespondence: Jithin K Sreedharan, Department of Respiratory Care, Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Email jithinksree@gmail.comBackground: Lung Ultrasound (LUS) had proved to be beneficial in detecting respiratory disorders at the bedside. Understanding the important role of Respiratory Therapists (RTs) in the critical care, we aimed to assess their knowledge, perceived relevance of LUS to clinical practice, current skill gaps, and barriers to practice.Methods: A cross-sectional, nationwide survey conducted among the RTs working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The validated questionnaire included 4 sections; the demographics, knowledge and perceptions, applicability and self-reported proficiency, and barriers to the use of LUS by RTs.Results: A total of 256 RTs across different regions of Saudi Arabia participated in this survey. 71.9% of them were males, and 46.1% of the participants were having < 5 years of working experience. Only (18.1%) of the participants used LUS in their clinical practice, and (43%) of them had never received any training. 66% of the participants perceived LUS as an effect