The importance of ultrasound in the diagnosis of pleura complications of acute destructive pneumonia in children

Abstract

Background. The problem of timely diagnosis of complications of acute destructive pneumonia accompanied by pyofibrothorax remains relevant. The study was aimed to investigate the features of ultrasound diagnosis (ultrasound) of the condition of the visceral and parietal pleural lamina in acute destructive pneumonia in children at different stages of the disease. Materials and methods. In the departments of purulent surgery and pulmonology of the Regional Children’s Hospital of Dnipro for the period of 5 years, there were observed about 475 children aged from 1 to 17 years with pneumonia, purulent-destructive changes in the lungs and pleura. For analysis and further study, we choose a group of 50 patients of different age groups, who underwent ultrasound in real time without prior preparation of patients. The condition of the parietal and visceral pleural lamina at the different stages of diagnosis and treatment was studied. Results. A group of patients aged from 4 to 10 years was performed an ultrasound of the pleural cavities in real time without prior preparation on the paraspinal, scapular, axillary, midclavicular, and thoracic lines when admitted to the hospital and on the first day of treatment. Ultrasound was used to determine the structure and volume of free fluid as well as the condition of the parietal and visceral pleural lamina, their thickness, and other features. The use of ultrasound allowed diagnosing the early manifestations of pyofibrothorax and determining the condition of the parietal and visceral pleural lamina in the children with destructive pneumonia. Conclusion. Further improvement of the algorithm of ultrasound diagnosis of acute destructive pneumonia in children with pyofibrothorax will reduce radiation exposure to a child’s body, increase the efficiency of the development and improvement of treatment methods at the stages of pyofibrotorax, reduce the duration of inpatient treatment.