Comparison between Lung Ultrasound and Chest Computed Tomography for Assessment of The Severity of Proven Coronavirus COVID-19 Pneumonia

Elhefnawy, Suzan Bahig Ali; Fawzi, Mohamed Mohsen Tolba; Gawargios, Fayrouz Abdel Nour Adeab; El-Din, Nourhan Mohammed Hossam

doi:10.21608/ejhm.2023.286038

Comparison between Lung Ultrasound and Chest Computed Tomography for Assessment of The Severity of Proven Coronavirus COVID-19 Pneumonia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

10.21608/ejhm.2023.286038

Abstract

Background: Although chest CT is the most popular scan, the ultimate safety for repetition is not established. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which results in viral pneumonia and may be diagnosed by a chest computed tomography (CT) scan. In addition, Lung Ultrasound (LUS) has good diagnostic precision for Alveolar Consolidation and Interstitial Lung Diseases. Aim of the Work: We looked into the classification of lung abnormalities by lung ultrasonography, the correlation between CT results and lung abnormalities in SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the viability of employing this technology to offer a quantifiable estimation of pulmonary involvement in COVID-19 patients. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included 30 patients who had symptoms of variable degrees of fever, cough, and dyspnoea with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection by nasopharyngeal swab at admittance or during hospitalization either at the ward or intensive care unit (ICU) at Ain Shams University Hospitals and National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute from May 2021 to March 2022, for whom CT chest was ordered before admission. Results: This study showed that patients who suffer from respiratory symptoms or associated lung conditions have the propensity to have greater alterations on LUS and more severe illness on CT in a sample of patients with PCR-validated COVID-19. The anomalies identified by the two distinct imaging modalities were related, and the LUS score is related to the clinical characteristics and the severity determined by the chest CT scan. Conclusion: Contrarily, the benefits of ultrasonography over CT include mobility, no radiation exposure (for pregnant women and patients at an increased risk for radiation usage), cheap cost, no requirement for support staff, and repeatability. In extreme circumstances, it might be utilized instead of a CT chest scan (especially in ICU cases).

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