Point-of-care Lung Ultrasound in Pediatric Pneumonia

Abstract

Pneumonia has remained the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Timely diagnosis and prompt treatment can avert many deaths; however, diagnosis of pneumonia in children still remains a challenge. Chest radiography has been widely used worldwide to diagnose pneumonia in children; however, in recent times, lung ultrasound (LUS) is emerging as a useful tool to diagnose pneumonia. The ease of performing LUS, its bedside availability, no exposure to ionizing radiation, and allowance of real-time monitoring of patients make LUS an attractive tool for the intensivists. In this article, we would elaborate the ultrasound equipment, the technique, normal artifacts, and various sonographic patterns of pneumonia in children. The LUS features of various complications of pneumonia like pleural effusion and pneumothorax will also be discussed. This article also summarizes the current evidence of using LUS in the diagnosis of pediatric pneumonia along with the strengths and limitations of this technique.