Lung ultrasound may be a valuable aid in decision making for patients admitted with COVID-19 disease

Introduction: COVID-19 is associated with a risk of severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), requiring treatment at an intensive care unit (ICU). Since clinical deterioration may occur rapidly, a simple, fast, bedside, non-invasive method for assessment of lung changes is warranted. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether lung ultrasonography findings within 72 hours of admission were predictive of clinical deterioration in hospitalized patients with confirmed Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).Methods: Patients admitted to a dedicated COVID-19 unit were subject to daily lung ultrasonography examinations. Number of present consolidations and pleural effusions were registered and a Mongodi score was calculated. These findings were correlated with initial chest x-ray and clinical deterioration, defined as ICU-admission, ARDS diagnosis, death.Results: In total, 29 of 83 patients had lung ultrasonography performed during admission, 18 within 72 hours of admission. Of these, four patients died during admission, six were transferred to the ICU and 13 were diagnosed with ARDS. Initial Mongodi-score did not differ significantly between patients with and without clinical deterioration (p=0.95). Agreement between initial LUS and chest x-ray findings were fair with Cohen’s Kappa at 0.21.Conclusion: LUS performed within 72 hours in patients admitted to a dedicated COVID-19 unit could not predict ARDS, ICU admission or death. However, consecutive investigations may be of value, as sudden substantial changes may herald disease progression, enabling earlier supplementary diagnostics and treatment initiation.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA3682.This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session textquotedblleftPrediction of exacerbations in patients with COPDtextquotedblright.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).