BET 3: Bedside lung ultrasound for the diagnosis of pneumonia in children

Abstract

A short cut review was carried to examine the evidence for the use of ultrasound in diagnosing pneumonia in paediatric patients. A literature search was performed that found one systematic review and meta-analysis based on eight papers and a further five relevant papers. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. The clinical bottom line is that lung ultrasound appears to have an acceptable sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of pneumonia in children when performed by an experienced sonographer.