einstein (São Paulo). 20/maio/2024;22:eAE0780.
Lessons from the pandemic and the value of a structured system of ultrasonographic findings in the diagnosis of COVID-19 pulmonary manifestations
DOI: 10.31744/einstein_journal/2024AE0780
Highlights
Lung ultrasound enables precise diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of the disease.
Ultrasound is an effective tool for assessing pulmonary findings in COVID-19.
Structured reports enhance communication and are easily reproducible.
ABSTRACT
Objective:
We aimed to share our experience in implementing a structured system for COVID-19 lung findings, elucidating key aspects of the lung ultrasound score to facilitate its standardized clinical use beyond the pandemic scenario.
Methods:
Using a scoring system to classify the extent of lung involvement, we retrospectively analyzed the ultrasound reports performed in our institution according to COVID-RADS standardization.
Results:
The study included 69 thoracic ultrasound exams, with 27 following the protocol. The majority of patients were female (52%), with ages ranging from 1 to 96 years and an average of 56 years. Classification according to COVID-RADS was as follows: 11.1% in category 0, 37% in category 1, 44.4% in category 2, and 7.4% in category 3. Ground-glass opacities on tomography correlated with higher COVID-RADS scores (categories 2 and 3) in 82% of cases. Ventilatory assessment revealed that 50% of cases in higher COVIDRADS categories (2 and 3) required second-line oxygen supplementation, while none of the cases in lower categories (0 and 1) utilized this support.
Conclusion:
Lung ultrasound has been widely utilized as a diagnostic tool owing to its availability and simplicity of application. In the context of the pandemic emergency, a pressing need for a focused and easily applicable assessment arose. The structured reporting system, incorporating ultrasound findings for stratification, demonstrated ease of replicability. This system stands as a crucial tool for screening, predicting severity, and aiding in medical decisions, even in a non-pandemic context.
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Palavras-chave: COVID-19; Coronavirus infections; SARS-CoV-2; Ultrasonography; Lung disease; Clinical decision making; Organ dysfunction
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