Ultrasound in infectious lung diseases - stop listening and look

Abstract

Purpose: Ultrasound is a proven examination method, which in the last decade has been increasingly used to examine the thorax as well. In most clinical settings Lung ultrasound is often disregarded.

Objectives: This article aims to explain the principles of lung ultrasound (LUS) and shows the most common pathologies in infectious lung and pleural diseases.

Design: Review article Data sources: Search of original peer-reviewed articles on from electronic database was done using key words. Study selection: Experimental researches were considered.

Data synthesis: The obtained data was verified separately for reliability, the data was analyzed, compared and conclusions drawn accordingly.

Conclusion: In patients with suspected pneumonia, Lung ultrasound (LUS) can offer an immediate diagnosis when combined with clinical examination. Simultaneously it can give an indication of the genesis of the pneumonia. Ultrasound examination can also replace X-ray examination of the thorax, as the sensitivity of chest X-ray is less sensitive and often inferior to the ultrasound examination. CT scan remains the gold standard, but it is often not available to most patients in the East African region. Therefore, it is likely that, after proper training of physicians and clinical officers a wider use of LUS will allow faster diagnosis, conducive to a more appropriate and timely therapy.