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Comparative Study
. 2014 Feb;32(2):115-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2013.10.003. Epub 2013 Oct 9.

Performance comparison of lung ultrasound and chest x-ray for the diagnosis of pneumonia in the ED

Jean-Eudes Bourcier  1 , Julie Paquet  2 , Mickael Seinger  2 , Emeric Gallard  2 , Jean-Philippe Redonnet  2 , Fouad Cheddadi  2 , Didier Garnier  2 , Jean-Marie Bourgeois  3 , Thomas Geeraerts  4
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Comparative Study

Performance comparison of lung ultrasound and chest x-ray for the diagnosis of pneumonia in the ED

Jean-Eudes Bourcier et al. Am J Emerg Med. 2014 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the potential of bedside lung ultrasound examination by the attending emergency physician in the diagnosis of acute pneumonia.

Material and methods: This observational single-center study was conducted between January 2010 and June 2012 in the emergency unit of a general hospital, and analyzed 144 adult patients. The ultrasound examination was performed by one of five trained emergency physicians, and a chest radiograph interpreted by a radiologist. The primary end point was the diagnosis of hospital discharge.

Results: We found a sensitivity of 0.95 for the ultrasound examination against 0.6 for radiography (P < .05). The negative predictive value was 0.67 against 0.25 for radiography (P < .05).

Conclusion: These results exhort to promote the use of thoracic ultrasound in the first-line diagnosis of pneumonia.

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