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Carrera KG, Hassen G, Camacho-Leon GP, Rossitto F, Martinez F, Debele TK. The Benefits and Barriers of Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Primary Healthcare in the United States. Cureus 2022; 14:e28373. [PMID: 36171847 PMCID: PMC9508689 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.28373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
An effective healthcare system should embrace practices that enhance overall quality and productivity. Training primary care physicians in Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) has become part of the processes that improve the quality of patient care and serve to guide the diagnostic impression quickly and effectively. With the purpose of highlighting the applications and challenges of POCUS use in US primary health care, we conducted a narrative review based on PubMed-indexed and Cochrane Library English text publications searched in May-July 2022 using a combination of key terms including point of care ultrasound, primary care, and US healthcare. Many studies have shown that POCUS has a positive impact on fostering medical attention and reducing morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Besides assisting in procedures, POCUS has a head-to-toe application in evaluating inflammatory and infectious conditions, acute abdomen, cardiopulmonary function, musculoskeletal and vascular pathologies. However, its uniform implementation is limited across the US healthcare system due to multitudes of barriers such as lack of training, resource scarcity, and low reimbursement. Training primary care physicians in general and emergency care providers, in particular, is key to scaleup POCUS use. Large size studies are paramount to further explore the effectiveness of POCUS and identify key challenges to its implementation.
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Lugarà M, Tamburrini S, Coppola MG, Oliva G, Fiorini V, Catalano M, Carbone R, Saturnino PP, Rosano N, Pesce A, Galiero R, Ferrara R, Iannuzzi M, Vincenzo D, Negro A, Somma F, Fasano F, Perrella A, Vitiello G, Sasso FC, Soldati G, Rinaldi L. The Role of Lung Ultrasound in SARS-CoV-19 Pneumonia Management. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12081856. [PMID: 36010207 PMCID: PMC9406504 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12081856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: We aimed to assess the role of lung ultrasound (LUS) in the diagnosis and prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, by comparing it with High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT). Patients and methods: All consecutive patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalized in COVID Centers were enrolled. LUS and HRCT were carried out on all patients by expert operators within 48−72 h of admission. A four-level scoring system computed in 12 regions of the chest was used to categorize the ultrasound imaging, from 0 (absence of visible alterations with ultrasound) to 3 (large consolidation and cobbled pleural line). Likewise, a semi-quantitative scoring system was used for HRCT to estimate pulmonary involvement, from 0 (no involvement) to 5 (>75% involvement for each lobe). The total CT score was the sum of the individual lobar scores and ranged from 0 to 25. LUS scans were evaluated according to a dedicated scoring system. CT scans were assessed for typical findings of COVID-19 pneumonia (bilateral, multi-lobar lung infiltration, posterior peripheral ground glass opacities). Oxygen requirement and mortality were also recorded. Results: Ninety-nine patients were included in the study (male 68.7%, median age 71). 40.4% of patients required a Venturi mask and 25.3% required non-invasive ventilation (C-PAP/Bi-level). The overall mortality rate was 21.2% (median hospitalization 30 days). The median ultrasound thoracic score was 28 (IQR 20−36). For the CT evaluation, the mean score was 12.63 (SD 5.72), with most of the patients having LUS scores of 2 (59.6%). The bivariate correlation analysis displayed statistically significant and high positive correlations between both the CT and composite LUS scores and ventilation, lactates, COVID-19 phenotype, tachycardia, dyspnea, and mortality. Moreover, the most relevant and clinically important inverse proportionality in terms of P/F, i.e., a decrease in P/F levels, was indicative of higher LUS/CT scores. Inverse proportionality P/F levels and LUS and TC scores were evaluated by univariate analysis, with a P/F−TC score correlation coefficient of −0.762, p < 0.001, and a P/F−LUS score correlation coefficient of −0.689, p < 0.001. Conclusions: LUS and HRCT show a synergistic role in the diagnosis and disease severity evaluation of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Lugarà
- U.O.C. Internal Medicine, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (M.G.C.); (G.O.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Stefania Tamburrini
- U.O.C. Radiology, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (S.T.); (V.F.); (M.C.); (R.C.); (P.P.S.); (N.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Maria Gabriella Coppola
- U.O.C. Internal Medicine, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (M.G.C.); (G.O.)
| | - Gabriella Oliva
- U.O.C. Internal Medicine, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (M.G.C.); (G.O.)
| | - Valeria Fiorini
- U.O.C. Radiology, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (S.T.); (V.F.); (M.C.); (R.C.); (P.P.S.); (N.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Marco Catalano
- U.O.C. Radiology, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (S.T.); (V.F.); (M.C.); (R.C.); (P.P.S.); (N.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Roberto Carbone
- U.O.C. Radiology, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (S.T.); (V.F.); (M.C.); (R.C.); (P.P.S.); (N.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Pietro Paolo Saturnino
- U.O.C. Radiology, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (S.T.); (V.F.); (M.C.); (R.C.); (P.P.S.); (N.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Nicola Rosano
- U.O.C. Radiology, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (S.T.); (V.F.); (M.C.); (R.C.); (P.P.S.); (N.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Antonella Pesce
- U.O.C. Radiology, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (S.T.); (V.F.); (M.C.); (R.C.); (P.P.S.); (N.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Raffaele Galiero
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80121 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (R.F.); (F.C.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Roberta Ferrara
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80121 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (R.F.); (F.C.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Michele Iannuzzi
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive care Medicine, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy;
| | - D’Agostino Vincenzo
- U.O.C. Neurodiology, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (D.V.); (A.N.); (F.S.); (F.F.)
| | - Alberto Negro
- U.O.C. Neurodiology, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (D.V.); (A.N.); (F.S.); (F.F.)
| | - Francesco Somma
- U.O.C. Neurodiology, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (D.V.); (A.N.); (F.S.); (F.F.)
| | - Fabrizio Fasano
- U.O.C. Neurodiology, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy; (D.V.); (A.N.); (F.S.); (F.F.)
| | - Alessandro Perrella
- Infectious Diseases at Health Direction, AORN A. Cardarelli, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Vitiello
- Healt Direction, ASL Center Naples 1, P.O. Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy;
| | - Ferdinando Carlo Sasso
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80121 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (R.F.); (F.C.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Gino Soldati
- Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound Unit, Valle del Serchio General Hospital, Castelnuovo Garfagnana, 55032 Lucca, Italy;
| | - Luca Rinaldi
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80121 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (R.F.); (F.C.S.); (L.R.)
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What Is COVID 19 Teaching Us about Pulmonary Ultrasound? Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12040838. [PMID: 35453889 PMCID: PMC9027485 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12040838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In lung ultrasound (LUS), the interactions between the acoustic pulse and the lung surface (including the pleura and a small subpleural layer of tissue) are crucial. Variations of the peripheral lung density and the subpleural alveolar shape and its configuration are typically connected to the presence of ultrasound artifacts and consolidations. COVID-19 pneumonia can give rise to a variety of pathological pulmonary changes ranging from mild diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), characterized by peripheral bilateral patchy lung involvement. These findings are well described in CT imaging and in anatomopathological cases. Ultrasound artifacts and consolidations are therefore expected signs in COVID-19 pneumonia because edema, DAD, lung hemorrhage, interstitial thickening, hyaline membranes, and infiltrative lung diseases when they arise in a subpleural position, generate ultrasound findings. This review analyzes the structure of the ultrasound images in the normal and pathological lung given our current knowledge, and the role of LUS in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with COVID-19 lung involvement.
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