Background and Objectives : The potential role of lung ultrasound (LUS) in characterizing lung involvement in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still debated. The aim of the study was to estimate sensitivity of admission LUS for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 lung involvement using Chest-CT (Computed Tomography) as reference standard in order to assess LUS usefulness in ruling out COVID-19 pneumonia in the Emergency Department (ED). Methods : Eighty-two patients with confirmed COVID-19 and signs of lung involvement on Chest-CT were consecutively admitted to our hospital and recruited in the study. Chest-CT and LUS examination were concurrently performed within the first 6–12h from admission. Sensitivity of LUS was calculated using CT findings as a reference standard. Results : Global LUS sensitivity in detecting COVID-19 pulmonary lesions was 52%. LUS sensitivity ranged from 8% in case of focal and sporadic ground-glass opacities (mild disease), to 52% for a crazy-paving pattern (moderate disease) and up to 100% in case of extensive subpleural consolidations (severe disease), although LUS was not always able to detect all the consolidations assessed at Chest-CT. LUS sensitivity was higher in detecting a typical Chest-CT pattern (60%) and abnormalities showing a middle-lower zone predominance (79%). Conclusions : As admission LUS may result falsely negative in most cases, it should not be considered as a reliable imaging tool in ruling out COVID-19 pneumonia in patients presenting in ED. It may at least represent an expanded clinical evaluation that needs integration with other diagnostic tests (e.g., nasopharyngeal swab, Chest-CT).
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, sensitivity, lung ultrasound (LUS), Chest-CT, SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, interstitial pneumonia, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19 pneumonia, Pneumonia, lung involvement, hospital, diagnostic test, lung, emergency department, Computed tomography, Nasopharyngeal swab, ground-glass opacity, Ground-glass opacities, clinical evaluation, diagnostic tests, Patient, Mild, disease, Admission, consolidation, reference standard, Mild disease, integration, Emergency, severe disease, (Computed Tomography, crazy-paving pattern, moderate disease, CT findings, Abnormalities, pulmonary lesions, zone, Department, abnormality, objective, Result, performed, detect, recruited, calculated, presenting, pulmonary lesion, ranged, CT finding, subpleural, 【제목키워드】 Involvement, with COVID-19,