Lung Ultrasound is Comparable with Chest Roentgenogram for Diagnosis of Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Abstract

Background: The chest X-ray is routinely requested for patients with suspected pneumonia, but has been demonstrated to be an insensitive method with relatively low accuracy. The present study was conducted to compare the lung ultrasound and standard chest X-ray for diagnosing pneumonia.

Materials and Methods: In this hospital-based study 80 patients were enrolled for the study with acute respiratory complaints. All participants underwent a standard CXR before ward admission. An upright posteroanterior chest radiograph was performed. CXR images were subsequently interpreted by an experienced radiologist. Immediately after admission, a bedside LUS was performed. The ultrasonographic diagnosis of pneumonia was made by operator. The final diagnosis was made by a skilled physician who reviewed the clinical and laboratory findings and disease course independently of LUS and CXR results. The level of statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. The Data were coded, entered, and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

Results: In the present study total patients were 80. Pneumonia was present in 48 females and in 32 males. In this study chest X-ray and lung Ultrasound was compared. Chest X-ray shows that true positive pneumonia was present in 34 patients while lung ultrasound shows that true positive pneumonia was present in 58 patients.

Conclusion: The present study concluded that lung Ultrasound was more accurate than chest X-ray.