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Modified pediatric Lung Ultrasound Score compared with computed tomography for assessment of lung aeration in children.

BACKGROUND
Lung ultrasound can be used to assess lung density and aeration at the bedside. A few authors have investigated scores based on the ultrasonographic interstitial syndrome for this purpose, but none have compared them with the gold standard computed tomography in children.


METHODS
Children < 10 kilograms undergoing a chest computed tomography for clinical purposes at a tertiary hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit were enrolled in the study. An ultrasound scan was performed shortly after computed tomography. Each hemithorax was divided in 6 zones, and each zone was scored: 1 = no B lines; 2 = < 3 B lines; 3 > 3 well separated B lines; 4 = crowded, coalescent B lines; 5 = white lung; 6 = consolidation. The pediatric Lung Ultrasound Score was obtained by adding all zones. Interobserver variation for two separate operators was calculated.


RESULTS
Ten children, median age 95 days (range 23 - 721), were enrolled. Mean pediatric Lung Ultrasound Score had a significant correlation with lung density (ρ = 0.68) and percentage of hypoaerated lung (ρ = 0.51). Median density and percentage of hypoaerated lung increased along the ultrasound patterns values (p < 0.05) although not all patterns were significantly different from adjacent ones in the pairwise comparison. Interobserver variability in scoring of ultrasonographic patterns was moderate.


CONCLUSIONS
The pediatric Lung Ultrasound Score correlates with lung density and percentage of hypoaerated lung measured with computed tomography.