Lung ultrasound for prediction of respiratory support in infants with acute bronchiolitis: A cohort study

Validity of Clinical Severity Scores for Respiratory Syncytial Virus: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a widespread respiratory pathogen, and RSV-related acute lower respiratory tract infections are the most common cause of respiratory hospitalization in children <2 years of age. Over the last 2 decades, a number of severity scores have been proposed to quantify disease severity for RSV in children, yet there remains no overall consensus on the most clinically useful score.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of English-language publications in peer-reviewed journals published since January 2000 assessing the validity of severity scores for children (≤24 months of age) with RSV and/or bronchiolitis, and identified the most promising scores. For included articles, (1) validity data were extracted, (2) quality of reporting was assessed using the Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis checklist (TRIPOD), and (3) quality was assessed using the Prediction Model Risk Of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST). To guide the assessment of the validity data, standardized cutoffs were employed, and an explicit definition of what we required to determine a score was sufficiently validated.

RESULTS

Our searches identified 8541 results, of which 1779 were excluded as duplicates. After title and abstract screening, 6670 references were excluded. Following full-text screening and snowballing, 32 articles, including 31 scores, were included. The most frequently assessed scores were the modified Tal score and the Wang Bronchiolitis Severity Score; none of the scores were found to be sufficiently validated according to our definition. The reporting and/or design of all the included studies was poor. The best validated score was the Bronchiolitis Score of Sant Joan de Déu, and a number of other promising scores were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

No scores were found to be sufficiently validated. Further work is warranted to validate the existing scores, ideally in much larger datasets.

Association of outcomes in point-of-care lung ultrasound for bronchiolitis in the pediatric emergency department

BACKGROUND

Acute bronchiolitis (AB) is the most common lower respiratory tract infection in infants. Objective scoring tools and plain film radiography have limited application, thus diagnosis is clinical. The role of point-of-care lung ultrasound (LUS) is not well established.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to characterize LUS findings in infants presenting to the pediatric ED diagnosed with AB, and to identify associations between LUS and respiratory support (RS) at 12 and 24 h, maximum RS during hospitalization, disposition, and hospital length of stay (LOS).

METHODS

Infants ≤12 months presenting to the ED and diagnosed with AB were enrolled. LUS was performed at the bedside by a physician. Lungs were divided into 12 segments and scanned, then scored and summated (min. 0, max. 36) in real time accordingly: 0 - A lines with <3 B lines per lung segment. 1 - ≥3 B lines per lung segment, but not consolidated. 2 - consolidated B lines, but no subpleural consolidation. 3 - subpleural consolidation with any findings scoring 1 or 2. Chart review was performed for all patients after discharge. RS was categorized accordingly: RS (room air), low RS (wall O2 or heated high flow nasal cannula <1 L/kg), and high RS (heated high flow nasal cannula ≥1 L/kg or positive pressure).

RESULTS

82 subjects were enrolled. Regarding disposition, the mean (SD) LUS scores were: discharged 1.18 (1.33); admitted to the floor 4.34 (3.62); and admitted to the ICU was 10.84 (6.54). For RS, the mean (SD) LUS scores at 12 h were: no RS 1.56 (1.93), low RS 4.34 (3.51), and high RS 11.94 (6.17). At 24 h: no RS 2.11 (2.35), low RS 4.91 (3.86), and high RS 12.64 (6.48). Maximum RS: no RS 1.22 (1.31), low RS 4.11 (3.61), and high RS 10.45 (6.16). Mean differences for all dispositions and RS time points were statistically significant (p < 0.05, CI >95%). The mean (SD) hospital LOS was 84.5 h (SD 62.9). The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) comparing LOS and LUS was 0.489 (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Higher LUS scores for AB were associated with increased respiratory support, longer LOS, and more acute disposition. The use of bedside LUS in the ED may assist the clinician in the management and disposition of patient's diagnosed with AB.

Evaluation of Lung Ultrasonography Findings of Children With Late Respiratory System Symptoms Due to COVID-19 Infection

Owing to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), lung damage is seen as an important problem in patients after recovery. In this study, evaluation of respiratory symptoms and lung ultrasonography (LUS) findings of those who have had symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 disease in children was aimed. A total of 81 patients with positive and 18 healthy children with negative COVID-19 antibodies were included to the study. The most common late presentation symptoms were cough (85.2%), shortness of breath (77.8%), and chest pain (60.5%). In LUS, 2 or less B lines, 3 or more B lines, and Z line were seen in 66.7%, 33.3%, and 9.9% of patients, respectively. There was no significant difference between control and patients in terms of these parameters (P > .05). Pleural effusion was detected in 2 patients in the late period. Respiratory system findings may develop in the late period in patients infected with COVID-19. Therefore, patients should be followed closely.

Prognostic Value of the Area of Lung Involved in Severe and Non-Severe Bronchiolitis: An Observational, Ultrasound-Based Study

BACKGROUND

Point of care lung ultrasound (LUS) has a definite role in viral bronchiolitis when combined with clinical data. Previous data showed a bigger involvement of the superior lung zones in more severe cases. The aim of the present study is to describe whether different lung areas are implicated to different degrees in patients admitted to a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and needing ventilation compared to those with less severe forms.

METHODS

observational, prospective study. LUS scores of single lung areas and clinical data were collected for all children aged 0-12 months presenting with bronchiolitis to the participating centers and used as covariates for logistic regression having "PICU admission" as outcome. A subsequent analysis was carried out to investigate factors concurring with different lung zones' involvement.

RESULTS

173 patients were enrolled. Difficulty in feeding, presence of wheezing, SpO2 were all risk factors for PICU admission. Superior lung areas' LUS scores presented higher Odds Ratios for PICU admission and need for ventilation than inferior ones. Age and prematurity concurred in determining their higher LUS scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Superior lobes' greater involvement could be favored by the geometrical distribution of relative bronchi, exiting with an acute angle from mainstem bronchi in small children where airway caliber is small and only small volumes of secretions can be occlusive.

Comparison of chest radiograph and lung ultrasound in children with acute respiratory failure

PURPOSE

Chest x-ray (CXR) is the standard imaging used to evaluate children in acute respiratory distress and failure. Our objective was to compare the lung-imaging techniques of CXR and lung ultrasound (LUS) in the evaluation of children with acute respiratory failure (ARF) to quantify agreement and to determine which technique identified a higher frequency of pulmonary abnormalities.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of a prospective observational study evaluating the sensitivity and specificity of LUS in children with ARF from 12/2018 to 02/2020 completed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA). Children > 37.0 weeks corrected gestational age and ≤ 18 years of age admitted to the PICU with ARF were evaluated with LUS. We compared CXR and LUS completed within 6 h of each other. Kappa statistics (k) adjusted for maximum attainable agreement (k/kmax) were used to quantify agreement between imaging techniques and descriptive statistics were used to describe the frequency of abnormalities.

RESULTS

Eighty-eight children had LUS completed, 32 with concomitant imaging completed within 6 h are included. There was fair agreement between LUS and CXR derived diagnoses with 58% agreement (k/kmax = 0.36). Evaluation of imaging patterns included: normal, 57% agreement (k = 0.032); interstitial pattern, 47% agreement (k = 0.003); and consolidation, 65% agreement (k = 0.29). CXR identified more imaging abnormalities than LUS.

CONCLUSIONS

There is fair agreement between CXR and LUS-derived diagnoses in children with ARF. Given this, clinicians should consider the benefits and limitations of specific imaging modalities when evaluating children with ARF. Additional studies are necessary to further define the role of LUS in pediatric ARF given the small sample size of our study.

Lung Ultrasound: A Useful Prognostic Tool in the Management of Bronchiolitis in the Emergency Department

Lung ultrasound, a non-invasive bedside technique for assessing paediatric patients with acute respiratory diseases, is becoming increasingly widespread. The aim of this prospective, observational cohort study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a clinical ultrasound score in assessing infants with acute bronchiolitis in the emergency department and its ability to accurately identify patients at a higher risk of clinical deterioration. Infants under 6 months of age with clinical symptoms compatible with acute bronchiolitis were enrolled and underwent clinical and lung ultrasound evaluations. The study included 50 patients, the median age of which was 2.2 months (IQR: 1-5), and the primary outcome was respiratory support. Infants requiring invasive or non-invasive ventilation showed higher scores (5 points [IQR: 3.5-5.5] vs. 2.5 [IQR: 1.5-4]). The outcome had an AUC of 0.85 (95%CI: 0.7-0.98), with a sensitivity of 87%, specificity of 64%, and negative predictive value of 96.4% for a score <3.5 points. Children who scored ≥3.5 points were more likely to require respiratory support within the next 24 h (estimated event-free survival of 82.9% compared to 100%, log-rank test p-value = 0.02). The results suggest that integrating lung ultrasound findings into clinical scores when evaluating infants with acute bronchiolitis could be a promising tool for improving prognosis.

Point-of-Care Thoracic Ultrasound in Children: New Advances in Pediatric Emergency Setting

Point-of-care thoracic ultrasound at the patient's bedside has increased significantly recently, especially in pediatric settings. Its low cost, rapidity, simplicity, and repeatability make it a practical examination to guide diagnosis and treatment choices, especially in pediatric emergency departments. The fields of application of this innovative imaging method are many and include primarily the study of lungs but also that of the heart, diaphragm, and vessels. This manuscript aims to describe the most important evidence for using thoracic ultrasound in the pediatric emergency setting.

Lung Ultrasound in the Evaluation of Lung Disease Severity in Children with Clinically Stable Cystic Fibrosis: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study

With the increasing longevity of cystic fibrosis (CF), there is a growing need to minimise exposure to ionising radiation in patients who undergo regular imaging tests while monitoring the course of the lung disease. This study aimed to define the role of lung ultrasounds (LUS) in the evaluation of lung disease severity in children with clinically stable CF. LUS was performed on 131 patients aged 5 weeks to 18 years (study group) and in 32 healthy children of an equivalent age range (control group). Additionally, an interobserver study was performed on 38 patients from the study group. In CF patients, the following ultrasound signs were identified: I-lines; Z-lines; single, numerous and confluent B-lines; Am-lines; small and major consolidations; pleural line abnormalities and small amounts of pleural fluid. The obtained results were evaluated against an original ultrasound score. LUS results were correlated with the results of chest X-ray (CXR) [very high], pulmonary function tests (PFTs) [high] and microbiological status [significant]. The interobserver study showed very good agreement between investigators. We conclude that LUS is a useful test in the evaluation of CF lung disease severity compared to routinely used methods. With appropriate standardisation, LUS is highly reproducible.

Lung ultrasound systematic review shows its prognostic and diagnostic role in acute viral bronchiolitis

AIM

Lung ultrasound (LUS) has not been included in the current guidelines for the diagnosis of bronchiolitis so far, even though data concerning its effectiveness have been published.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was carried out to determine the role of LUS scores in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients aged 0-2 years with bronchiolitis, using MEDLINE, Scopus and ScienceDirect databases from their inception to December 2021.

RESULTS

A total of 18 studies matching our eligibility criteria were analysed for the purposes of this review and 1249 patients with bronchiolitis were included. The sonographic and radiological findings were comparable and chest radiography was found to have a higher sensitivity in ruling out severe complications such as concomitant pneumonia. The LUS scores were correlated to the clinical course of bronchiolitis and it was able to predict the need of admission in paediatric intensive care unit, the duration of hospitalisation and the need for respiratory support.

CONCLUSION

This review suggests that LUS could have both a diagnostic and a prognostic role in bronchiolitis during first evaluation in the emergency department and hospitalisation. Physicians could adjust management according to sonographic findings as a useful adjunct to the clinical ones.

Role of ultrasound in the treatment of pediatric infectious diseases: case series and narrative review

BACKGROUND

Infectious diseases are common in pediatric patients. In these patients, ultrasound is a useful imaging modality that involves no irradiation or sedation and can be performed repeatedly at the patient's bedside. The purpose of this review was to show pediatric cases with infectious disease that used ultrasound to decide the methods of treatment.

DATA SOURCES

Literature review was performed using Pubmed as the medical database source. No year-of-publication restriction was placed. The mesh terms used were: "ultrasound", "sonography", "infectious disease", "treatment", "antibiotics", "surgical intervention", "pediatric", "children", "deep neck abscess", "pyothorax", "empyema", "pneumonia", "urinary tract infection", "intra-abdominal abscess", "soft tissue infection", "septic arthritis", "osteomyelitis", and "surgical site infection".

RESULTS

We presented pediatric case series with infectious diseases, including deep neck abscess, pyothorax and empyema, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, intra-abdominal abscess, soft tissue infection, septic arthritis and osteomyelitis, and surgical-site infection. Ultrasound was useful for evaluating the extent and location of inflammation and abscess and for decision-making concerning surgical intervention.

CONCLUSION

Knowledge of these sonographic findings is important for sonographers during examinations and for physicians when determining the treatment plan and period of antibiotic therapy for infected lesions.

Clinical practice guidelines: management of severe bronchiolitis in infants under 12 months old admitted to a pediatric critical care unit

PURPOSE

We present guidelines for the management of infants under 12 months of age with severe bronchiolitis with the aim of creating a series of pragmatic recommendations for a patient subgroup that is poorly individualized in national and international guidelines.

METHODS

Twenty-five French-speaking experts, all members of the Groupe Francophone de Réanimation et Urgence Pédiatriques (French-speaking group of paediatric intensive and emergency care; GFRUP) (Algeria, Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), collaborated from 2021 to 2022 through teleconferences and face-to-face meetings. The guidelines cover five areas: (1) criteria for admission to a pediatric critical care unit, (2) environment and monitoring, (3) feeding and hydration, (4) ventilatory support and (5) adjuvant therapies. The questions were written in the Patient-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome (PICO) format. An extensive Anglophone and Francophone literature search indexed in the MEDLINE database via PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane and Embase was performed using pre-established keywords. The texts were analyzed and classified according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. When this method did not apply, an expert opinion was given. Each of these recommendations was voted on by all the experts according to the Delphi methodology.

RESULTS

This group proposes 40 recommendations. The GRADE methodology could be applied for 17 of them (3 strong, 14 conditional) and an expert opinion was given for the remaining 23. All received strong approval during the first round of voting.

CONCLUSION

These guidelines cover the different aspects in the management of severe bronchiolitis in infants admitted to pediatric critical care units. Compared to the different ways to manage patients with severe bronchiolitis described in the literature, our original work proposes an overall less invasive approach in terms of monitoring and treatment.

The utility of chest x-ray and lung ultrasound in the management of infants and children presenting with severe pneumonia in low-and middle-income countries: A pragmatic scoping review

Background

Chest x-ray (CXR) is commonly used (when available) to support clinical management decisions for child pneumonia and provide a reference standard for diagnosis in research studies. However, its diagnostic and technical limitations for both purposes are well recognised. Recent evidence suggests that lung ultrasound (LUS) may have diagnostic utility in pneumonia. This systematic scoping review of research on the utility of CXR and LUS in the management of severe childhood pneumonia aims to inform pragmatic guidelines for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and identify gaps in knowledge.

Methods

We included peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2020 in infants and children aged from one month to nine years, presenting with severe pneumonia. CXR studies were limited to those from LMICs, while LUS studies included any geographic region. LUS and CXR articles were mapped into the following themes: indications, role in diagnosis, role in management, impact on outcomes, and practical considerations for LMIC settings.

Results

85 articles met all eligibility criteria, including 27 CXR studies and 58 LUS studies. CXR studies were primarily observational and examined associations between radiographic abnormalities and pneumonia aetiology or outcomes. The most consistent finding was an association between CXR consolidation and risk of mortality. Difficulty obtaining quality CXR images and inter-reader variability in interpretation were commonly reported challenges. Research evaluating indications for CXR, role in management, and impact on patient outcomes was very limited. LUS studies primarily focused on diagnostic accuracy. LUS had higher sensitivity for identification of consolidation than CXR. There are gaps in knowledge regarding diagnostic criteria, as well as the practical utility of LUS in the diagnosis and management of pneumonia. Most LUS studies were conducted in HIC settings with experienced operators; however, small feasibility studies indicate that good inter-operator reliability may be achieved by training of novice clinicians in LMIC settings.

Conclusions

The available evidence does not support the routine use of CXR or LUS as essential tools in the diagnosis and initial management of severe pneumonia. Further evaluation is required to determine the clinical utility and feasibility of both imaging modalities in low-resource settings.

Lung ultrasound allows for earlier diagnosis of bronchiolitis than auscultation: an animal experiment and human case series

PURPOSE

Early diagnosis of bronchiolitis in infants allows for risk stratification for central apnea, and, when available, the timely initiation of antiviral treatment. An animal model could demonstrate if earlier diagnosis is possible with ultrasound than with clinical exam. Even if possible, translating this to pediatrics would require observations from undifferentiated human infants.

METHODS

We used serial daily clinical and lung ultrasound exams in a bovine calf model (Bos taurus) of respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis. Ultrasound and clinical examiners were blinded to each other's findings and the treatments used in 24 calves. Time to diagnosis was compared using Kaplan-Meier curves. A case series of human infants with upper respiratory tract infections, without clinical signs of bronchiolitis, and in whom lung ultrasound was performed, was extracted from hospital records.

RESULTS

In the bovine model, lung ultrasound findings emerged earlier and lasted later than auscultatory findings. Relying on auscultation, 5/24 (21%) of animals were diagnosed by post-inoculation day 5 whereas 24/24 (100%) were diagnosed by ultrasound. We identified seven infants in whom lung ultrasound was used to diagnose bronchiolitis before adventitial lung sounds emerged. Three of these subsequently developed typical clinical findings of bronchiolitis in the hospital. Two had alternative explanations for their abnormal lung ultrasounds (both required surgical intervention). Two were discharged and required no further medical attention.

CONCLUSION

Lung ultrasound allowed earlier diagnosis of bronchiolitis than clinical exam in the bovine model. In the human case series this was also true, but alternative causes of abnormal ultrasound were frequent.

Are Lung Ultrasound Features More Severe in Children Diagnosed with Bronchiolitis after the COVID-19 Lockdown Period?

The non-pharmacological measures implemented during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic disrupted the usual bronchiolitis seasonality. Some authors have speculated that, after the lock down period, there would be an increase in the number and severity of respiratory infections due to the re-introduction of respiratory viruses. We collected clinical, microbiological and lung ultrasound data using the classification of the Italian Society of Thoracic Ultrasound (ADET) in children with bronchiolitis during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period, with the aim of assessing whether the epidemic of bronchiolitis during the pandemic was characterized by a more severe lung involvement documented by lung ultrasound. We enrolled 108 children with bronchiolitis (52 pre-pandemic and 56 COVID-19 period), with a median age of 1.74 months (interquartile range, IQR 1-3.68) and 39.8% were females. Rhinovirus detection and high-flow nasal cannula usage were both increased during the COVID-19 period, although overall need of hospitalization and pediatric intensive care unit admissions did not change during the two periods. Lung ultrasound scores were similar in the two cohorts evaluated. Conclusions: our study suggests that, despite changes in microbiology and treatments performed, lung ultrasound severity scores were similar, suggesting that that bronchiolitis during the pandemic period was no more severe than pre-pandemic period, despite children diagnosed during the pandemic had a higher, but it was not statistically significant, probably, due to small sample size, probability of being admitted.

Prognostic Role of Lung Ultrasound in Children with Bronchiolitis: Multicentric Prospective Study

There is increasing recognition of the role of lung ultrasound (LUS) to assess bronchiolitis severity in children. However, available studies are limited to small, single-center cohorts. We aimed to assess a qualitative and quantitative LUS protocol to evaluate the course of bronchiolitis at diagnosis and during follow-up. This is a prospective, multicenter study. Children with bronchiolitis were stratified according to clinical severity and underwent four LUS evaluations at set intervals. LUS was classified according to four models: (1) positive/negative; (2) main LUS pattern (normal/interstitial/consolidative/mixed) (3) LUS score; (4) LUS score with cutoff. Two hundred and thirty-three children were enrolled. The baseline LUS was significantly associated with bronchiolitis severity, using both the qualitative (positive/negative LUS p < 0.001; consolidated/normal LUS pattern or mixed/normal LUS p < 0.001) and quantitative models (cutoff score > 9 p < 0.001; LUS mean score p < 0.001). During follow-up, all LUS results according to all LUS models improved (p < 0.001). Better cut off value was declared at a value of >9 points. Conclusions: Our study supports the role of a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative LUS protocol for the identification of severe cases of bronchiolitis and provides data on the evolution of lung aeration during follow-up.

The Inter-Rater Reliability of Pediatric Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound Interpretation in Children With Acute Respiratory Failure

OBJECTIVES

Use of point-of-care lung ultrasound (POC-LUS) has increased significantly in pediatrics yet it remains under-studied in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). No studies explicitly evaluate the reliability of POC-LUS artifact interpretation among critically ill children with acute respiratory failure (ARF) in the PICU. We thus designed this study to determine the inter-rater reliability of POC-LUS interpretation in pediatric ARF among pediatric intensivists trained in POC-LUS and an expert intensivist.

METHODS

We compared the interpretation of lung sliding, pleural line characteristics, ultrasound artifacts, and POC-LUS diagnoses among pediatric intensivists and an expert intensivist in a cohort of children admitted to the PICU for ARF. Kappa statistics (k) adjusted for maximum attainable agreement (k/k_max ) were used to quantify chance-correct agreement between the pediatric intensivist and expert physician.

RESULTS

We enrolled 88 patients, evaluating 3 zones per hemithorax (anterior, lateral, and posterior) for lung sliding, pleural line characteristics, ultrasound artifacts, and diagnosis. There was moderate agreement between the PICU intensivist and expert-derived diagnoses with 56% observed agreement (k/k_max  = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.31-0.65). Agreement in identification of lung sliding (k = 0.19, 95% CI -0.17 to 0.56) and pleural line characteristics (k = 0.24, 95% CI 0.08-0.40) was slight and fair, respectively, while agreement in the interpretation of ultrasound artifacts ranged from moderate to substantial.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence supporting the evaluation of neonatal and adult patients with POC-LUS should not be extrapolated to critically ill pediatric patients. This study adds to the evidence supporting use of POC-LUS in the PICU by demonstrating moderate agreement between PICU intensivist and expert-derived POC-LUS diagnoses.

Lung Ultrasound Artifact Findings in Pediatric Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit for Acute Respiratory Failure

PURPOSE

To describe point-of-care lung ultrasound (POC-LUS) artifact findings in children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for acute respiratory failure (ARF).

METHODS

This is a secondary analysis of a prospective observational study completed in a 21-bed PICU. Children > 37 weeks gestational age and ≤ 18 years were enrolled from December 2018 to February 2020. POC-LUS was completed and interpreted by separate physicians blinded to all clinical information. POC-LUS was evaluated for the presence of lung sliding, pleural line characteristics, ultrasound artifacts, and the ultrasound diagnosis.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven subjects were included. A-lines were the most frequent artifact, occurring in 58% of lung zones (163/281) in those with bronchiolitis, 39% of lung zones (64/164) in those with pneumonia, and 81% of lung zones (48/59) in those with status asthmaticus. Sub-pleural consolidation was second most common, occurring in 28% (80/281), 30% (50/164), and 12% (7/59) of those with bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and status asthmaticus, respectively. The pattern a priori defined as bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and status asthmaticus was demonstrated in 31% (15/48), 10% (3/29), and 40% (4/10) of subjects with bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and status asthmaticus, respectively.

CONCLUSION

We found significant heterogeneity and overlap of POC-LUS artifacts across the most common etiologies of ARF in children admitted to the PICU. We have described the POC-LUS artifact findings in pediatric ARF to support clinicians using POC-LUS and to guide future pediatric POC-LUS studies. Determining the optimal role of POC-LUS as an adjunct in the care of pediatric patients requires further study.

Characterization of Cardiopulmonary Interactions and Exploring Their Prognostic Value in Acute Bronchiolitis: A Prospective Cardiopulmonary Ultrasound Study

We aimed to delineate cardiopulmonary interactions in acute bronchiolitis and to evaluate the capacity of a combined cardiopulmonary ultrasonography to predict the need for respiratory support. This was a prospective observational single-center study that includes infants <12 month of age admitted to a hospital due to acute bronchiolitis. All the included patients underwent clinical, laboratory and cardiopulmonary ultrasonographic evaluation at the same time point within 24 h of hospital admission. The existence of significant correlation between cardiac and respiratory parameters was the primary outcome. The association of different cardiopulmonary variables with the need of respiratory support higher than O₂, the length of stay hospitalization, the PICU stay and the duration of respiratory support were a secondary outcome. We enrolled 112 infants (median age 1 (0.5–3) months; 62% males) hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis. Increased values of the pulmonary variables (BROSJOD score, pCO₂ and LUS) showed moderate correlations with NT-proBNP and all echocardiographic parameters indicative of pulmonary hypertension and myocardial dysfunction (Tei index). Up to 36 (32%) infants required respiratory support during the hospitalization. This group presented with higher lung ultrasound score (p < 0.001) and increased values of NT-proBNP (p < 0.001), the Tei index (p < 0.001) and pulmonary artery pressures (p < 0.001). All the analyzed respiratory and cardiac variables showed moderate-to-strong correlations with the LOS of hospitalization and the time of respiratory support. Lung ultrasound and echocardiography showed a moderate-to-strong predictive accuracy for the need of respiratory support in the ROC analysis, with the AUC varying from 0.74 to 0.87. Those cases of bronchiolitis with a worse pulmonary status presented with a more impaired cardiac status. Cardiopulmonary ultrasonography could be a useful tool to easily identify high-risk populations for complicated acute bronchiolitis hospitalization.

Lung Ultrasound in Pediatrics and Neonatology: An Update

The potential role of ultrasound for the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases is a recent field of research, because, traditionally, lungs have been considered unsuitable for ultrasonography for the high presence of air and thoracic cage that prevent a clear evaluation of the organ. The peculiar anatomy of the pediatric chest favors the use of lung ultrasound (LUS) for the diagnosis of respiratory conditions through the interpretation of artefacts generated at the pleural surface, correlating them to disease-specific patterns. Recent studies demonstrate that LUS can be a valid alternative to chest X-rays for the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases, especially in children to avoid excessive exposure to ionizing radiations. This review focuses on the description of normal and abnormal findings during LUS of the most common pediatric pathologies. Current literature demonstrates usefulness of LUS that may become a fundamental tool for the whole spectrum of lung pathologies to guide both diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.

Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound to Diagnose the Etiology of Acute Respiratory Failure at Admission to the PICU

OBJECTIVES

Determine the sensitivity and specificity of point-of-care lung ultrasound in identifying the etiology of acute respiratory failure at admission to the PICU.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study.

SETTING

Tertiary PICU.

PATIENTS

Children older than 37 weeks gestational age and less than or equal to 18 years old admitted to the PICU with acute respiratory failure from December 2018 to February 2020.

INTERVENTION

Point-of-care lung ultrasound performed within 14 hours of admission to the PICU by physicians blinded to patient history and clinical course. Two physicians, blinded to all clinical information, independently interpreted the point-of-care lung ultrasound and then established a consensus diagnosis (ultrasound diagnosis). The ultrasound diagnosis was compared with an independent, standardized review of the medical record following hospital discharge (final diagnosis).

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

Eighty-eight patients were enrolled in the study. Forty-eight patients had a final diagnosis of bronchiolitis/viral pneumonitis (55%), 29 had pneumonia (33%), 10 had status asthmaticus (11%), and one was excluded because of an inability to differentiate the final diagnosis. Point-of-care lung ultrasound correctly identified the etiology of acute respiratory failure in 56% of patients (49/87; 95% CI, 46-66%). It identified bronchiolitis/viral pneumonitis with 44% sensitivity (95% CI, 0.31-0.58) and 74% specificity (95% CI, 0.59-0.85), pneumonia with 76% sensitivity (95% CI, 0.58-0.88) and 67% specificity (95% CI 0.54-0.78), and status asthmaticus with 60% sensitivity (95% CI, 0.31-0.83) and 88% specificity (95% CI, 0.79-0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to literature demonstrating high utility differentiating the cause of acute respiratory failure in adults, blinded point-of-care lung ultrasound demonstrates moderate sensitivity and specificity in identifying the etiology of pediatric acute respiratory failure at admission to the PICU among children with bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and status asthmaticus.

Lung ultrasound to predict pediatric intensive care admission in infants with bronchiolitis (LUSBRO study)

It is extremely difficult to stratify bronchiolitis and predict the need for admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We aimed to evaluate the capacity of a new lung ultrasound score (LUSBRO) to predict the need for admission to the PICU compared to a clinical score. This was a prospective observational single-center study that includes infants < 6 month of age admitted to a hospital due to acute bronchiolitis. Both scores were calculated at admission. The main outcome was PICU admission. Second endpoints were the need for mechanical ventilation, respiratory support duration, and the length of stay in the hospital. Eighty patients were included, with a median age of 53 days (IQR 29-115). Forty-four patients (55%) required PICU admission. LUSBRO score showed a better AUC compared to the clinical score to predict PICU admission: 0.932 (95% CI 0.873-0.990) vs. 0.675 (95% CI 0.556-0.794) and a positive correlation with the hospital length of stay. The best cut-off point for predicting the need for PICU admission for LUSBRO score was 6, showing a sensitivity of 90.91% and a specificity of 88.89%.Conclusions: The LUSBRO score is a useful tool to predict the need for admission to the PICU. What is Known • It is extremely difficult to stratify which patients affected by bronchiolitis should be precociously transferred to a third level hospital and will require pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. • Clinical scores have been created but neither of them is accurate. What is New • The LUSBRO score is a useful tool to predict the need for admission to the PICU of patients with bronchiolitis and, consequently, to predict the patients who should be transferred to a tertiary hospital to optimize respiratory support.

Lung Ultrasound: Its Findings and New Applications in Neonatology and Pediatric Diseases

Lung ultrasound has become increasingly used in both adult and pediatric populations, allowing the rapid evaluation of many lung and pleura diseases. This popularity is due to several advantages of the method such as the low cost, rapidity, lack of ionizing radiation, availability of bedside and repeatability of the method. These features are even more important after the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, given the possibility of recognizing through ultrasound the signs of interstitial lung syndrome typical of pneumonia caused by the virus. The purpose of this paper is to review the available evidence of lung ultrasound (LUS) in children and its main applications in pediatric diseases.

Lung ultrasound in bronchiolitis

BACKGROUND

Bronchiolitis is the most common acute viral infection of the lower respiratory tract in infants. Clinical severity is associated with different risk factors; however, no clinical, laboratory, or radiological findings are able to predict the course of the disease in full-term infants. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a valid technique for the diagnosis and evaluation of pediatric respiratory diseases.

AIMS

The aim of our study was to correlate an LUS score with a clinical score, to describe lung ultrasound findings in cases and controls, and to compare LUS findings with chest X-ray (CXR) in infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis.

METHODS

We conducted a single-center, longitudinal, prospective study on 92 infants. Sixty-three out of 92 infants were hospitalized for acute bronchiolitis (cases) and twenty-nine out of 92 for diseases not involving the respiratory system (controls). All patients with bronchiolitis underwent a clinical evaluation with the assignment of a clinical severity score and performed lung ultrasound with the assignment of an LUS score. Twenty-three out of 63 infants with bronchiolitis underwent also a CXR for clinical indications. Control infants performed only LUS.

RESULTS

In infants with bronchiolitis LUS score showed a positive correlation with the clinical score (r = .62, p < .001) and the length of hospitalization (r = .42; p < .001). The need of oxygen therapy was more frequent in the patients with higher LUS score (p < .001). LUS findings observed in the cases were the presence of B-lines, subpleural consolidations, and abnormalities of the pleural line. No LUS alterations were observed in the controls. In patients who performed LUS and CXR, we found a correlation between the presence of abnormalities of the pleural line with LUS and the presence of air trapping with CXR (r = .55; p = .007).

Early assessment of lung aeration using an ultrasound score as a biomarker of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a prospective observational study

The objective of this study was to assess the predictive value of a lung ultrasound (LUS) score in the development of moderate-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD). This was a prospective  observational diagnostic accuracy study in a third-level neonatal intensive care unit. Preterm infants with a gestational age below 32 weeks were included. A LUS score (range 0-24 points) was calculated by assessing aeration semiquantitatively (0-3 points) in eight lung zones on the 7th day of life (DOL) and repeated on the 28th DOL. ROC curves and logistic regression were used for analysis. Forty-two preterm infants were included. The LUS on the 7th DOL had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87-1) for the prediction of sBPD (optimal cutoff of ≥8 points: sensitivity 93%, specificity 91%). The LUS score was independently associated with sBPD [OR 2.1 (95% CI: 1.1-3.9), p = 0.022, for each additional point in the score]. Conclusions: Lung aeration as assessed by LUS on the 7th DOL may predict the development of sBPD.

Consensus on the Application of Lung Ultrasound in Pneumonia and Bronchiolitis in Children

This evidence-based consensus aims to establish the role of point-of-care lung ultrasound in the management of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in paediatric patients. A panel of thirteen experts form five Polish tertiary pediatric centres was involved in the development of this document. The literature search was done in PubMed database. Statements were established based on a review of full-text articles published in English up to December 2019. The development of this consensus was conducted according to the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations)-adopted and Delphi method. Initially, 22 proposed statements were debated over 3 rounds of on-line discussion and anonymous voting sessions. A total of 17 statements were agreed upon, including four statements referring to general issues, nine referring to pneumonia and four to bronchiolitis. For five statements experts did not achieve an agreement. The evidence supporting each statement was evaluated to assess the strength of each statement. Overall, eight statements were rated strong, five statements moderate, and four statements weak. For each statement, experts provided their comments based on the literature review and their own experience. This consensus is the first to establish the role of lung ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in children as an evidence-based method of imaging.

Point-of-care lung ultrasound in children with bronchiolitis in a pediatric emergency department

OBJECTIVES

This study assessed the association between findings of lung ultrasound (LUS) performed in the pediatric emergency department (PED) on infants with bronchiolitis and need for respiratory support.

METHODS

An observational study was carried out in the PED during the epidemic seasons in two consecutive years. Infants diagnosed with bronchiolitis who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were evaluated. A group of six pediatricians performed LUS and classified lung findings into four groups: normal pattern (A), moderate interstitial pattern (B1), severe interstitial pattern (B2), and isolated consolidation (C). The relationship between LUS findings and need for respiratory support was explored. An expert sonographer, blinded to the results, reviewed the ultrasound studies to determine the interobserver reliability.

RESULTS

A total of 200 infants were included (mean age 5.7 months±4.4 SD); 65 (32.5%) obtained moderate clinical scores, while 23 (11.5%) needed respiratory support at admission and 34 (17.0%) at 48h. The ultrasound findings in the PED were the following: A=89 (44.5%), B1=55 (27.5%), B2=34 (17%), and C=22 (11%). Age less than 6 weeks and moderate bronchiolitis were correlated with abnormal LUS (P<0.005). The severity of interstitial ultrasound pattern has some correlation with an increased need for respiratory support. The interobserver concordance was high (0.95, confidence interval: 0.92-0.98).

CONCLUSION

LUS is a feasible tool that may help to confirm the clinical impression and assess the need for respiratory support in children with bronchiolitis, but further multicenter studies are needed.

Lung ultrasound scoring in invasive mechanically ventilated children with severe bronchiolitis

OBJECTIVE

Lung ultrasound (LUS) is an emerging tool that may be used in the diagnosis and follow-up of children with viral bronchiolitis. In this study, we describe LUS abnormalities in children receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) for severe bronchiolitis in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Our aim was to semiquantify the loss of aeration and examine the association between serial LUS scores and oxygenation anomaly, as a marker of disease severity.

DESIGN

Prospective, observational study in a single-center PICU.

METHODS

LUS was performed by multiple observers using two different LUS scoring systems (counting B-lines and aeration score) in 17 patients in the PICU, generating 320 images. Oxygen saturation index (OSI) was the primary outcome marker to describe the severity of oxygenation anomaly.

RESULTS

Pulmonary aeration was moderately impaired with a homogeneous anterolateral pattern. LUS scores worsened after 24 hours, to improve in subsequent days. Both LUS scores were positively correlated with OSI on the first day of IMV (counting B-lines P = .034, r = .52 and LUS aeration score P = .017, r = .57), but not thereafter. There was considerable variability in the LUS scores despite moderate to high agreement between the observers.

CONCLUSIONS

In children receiving IMV for severe bronchiolitis, pulmonary aeration is moderately impaired. LUS scores positively correlate with severity of oxygenation anomaly only in the acute phase of disease. We speculate that with the progression of disease other factors affect LUS patterns (eg, fluid overload, atelectasis), which may complicate the interpretation of LUS in follow-up of this specific cohort in the PICU.

Lung Ultrasound and Clinical Progression of Acute Bronchiolitis: A Prospective Observational Single-Center Study

Background and Objectives: Recent literature suggests that lung ultrasound might have a role in the diagnosis and management of bronchiolitis. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between an ultrasound score and the clinical progression of bronchiolitis: need for supplemental oxygen, duration of oxygen therapy and hospital stay. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational single-center study, conducted in a pediatric unit during the 2017–2018 epidemic periods. All consecutive patients admitted with clinical signs of acute bronchiolitis, but without the need for supplemental oxygen, underwent a lung ultrasound in the first 24 h of hospital care. The lung involvement was graded based on the ultrasound score. During clinical progression, need for supplemental oxygen, duration of oxygen therapy and duration of hospital stay were recorded. Results: The final analysis included 83 patients, with a mean age of 4.5 ± 4.1 months. The lung ultrasound score in patients that required supplemental oxygen during hospitalization was 4.5 ± 1.7 (range: 2.0–8.0), different from the one of the not supplemented infants (2.5 ± 1.8; range: 0.0–6.0; p < 0.001). Ultrasound score was associated with the need for supplemental oxygen (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.5–3.3; p < 0.0001). Duration of oxygen therapy was not associated with LUS score (p > 0.05). Length of hospital stay (coef. = 0.5; 95% CI = 0.2–0.7; p < 0.0001) correlates with LUS score. Conclusion: Lung ultrasound score correlates with the need of supplemental oxygen and length of hospital stay in infants with acute bronchiolitis.

Using lung ultrasound to quantitatively evaluate pulmonary water content

BACKGROUND

Increases in extravascular lung water (EVLW) can lead to respiratory failure. This study aimed to investigate whether the B-line score (BLS) was correlated with the EVLW content determined by the lung wet/dry ratio in a rabbit model.

METHODS

A total of 45 New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to nine groups. Among the animals, models of various lung water content levels were induced by the infusion of different volumes of warm sterile normal saline (NS) via the endotracheal tube. The arterial blood gas, spontaneous respiratory rate, and PaO₂ /FiO₂ ratio were detected before and after infusion. In addition, the B-lines were determined before and immediately after infusion in each group. Finally, both lungs were resected to determine the wet/dry ratio. In addition, all lung specimens were analyzed histologically, and EVLW was quantified using the BLS based on the number and confluence of B-lines in the intercostal space.

RESULTS

The BLS increased with increasing infusion volume. The BLS was statistically correlated with the wet/dry ratio (r² = .946) and with the PaO₂ /FiO₂ ratio (r² = .916). Furthermore, a repeatability study was performed for the lung ultrasound (LUS) technology (Bland-Altman plots), and the results suggest that LUS had favorable intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first to suggest that the BLS can serve as a sensitive, quantitative, noninvasive, and real-time indicator of EVLW in a rabbit model of lung water accumulation. Notably, the BLS displayed an obvious correlation with the experimental gravimetry results and could also be used to predict the pulmonary oxygenation status.

Acute Bronchiolitis: Is There a Role for Lung Ultrasound?

INTRODUCTION

Viral bronchiolitis is a common cause of lower respiratory tract infection in the first year of life, considered a health burden because of its morbidity and costs. Its diagnosis is based on history and physical examination and the role of radiographic examination is limited to atypical cases. Thus far, Lung Ultrasound (LUS) is not considered in the diagnostic algorithm for bronchiolitis.

METHODS

PubMed database was searched for trials reporting on lung ultrasound examination and involving infants with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis.

RESULTS

Eight studies were suitable.

CONCLUSIONS

This review analyzed the current evidence about the potential usefulness of LUS in the clinical management of bronchiolitis. Literature supports a peculiar role of LUS in the evaluation of the affected children, considering it as a reliable imaging test that could benefit the clinical management of bronchiolitis.