The use of chest ultrasonography in suspected cases of COVID-19 in the emergency department

doi:10.2144/fsoa-2020-0127

. 2020 Nov 30;7(1):FSO635.

doi: 10.2144/fsoa-2020-0127.

The use of chest ultrasonography in suspected cases of COVID-19 in the emergency department

Enrico Allegorico¹, Carlo Buonerba^{2

3}, Giorgio Bosso¹, Antonio Pagano¹, Giovanni Porta¹, Claudia Serra¹, Pasquale Dolce⁴, Valentina Minerva¹, Ferdinando Dello Vicario¹, Concetta Altruda¹, Paola Arbo¹, Teresa Russo¹, Chiara De Sio⁵, Nicoletta Franco⁶, Gianluca Ruffa¹, Cinzia Mormile¹, Francesca Cannavacciuolo⁷, Valentina Mercurio⁴, Gelsomina Gervasio⁸, Giuseppe Di Costanzo⁸, Alfonso Ragozzino⁸, Luca Scafuri⁹, Gaetano Facchini¹⁰, Fabio Numis¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine "Santa Maria delle Grazie" Hospital, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy.
² Department of Oncology & Hematology, Regional Reference Center for Rare Tumors, AOU Federico II of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy.
³ Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'Analisi e Studio di Correlazione tra Ambiente, Animale e Uomo, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055, Portici (Na), Italy.
⁴ Department of Public Health, Federico II University, 80131 Naples, Italy.
⁵ Department of Medical & Surgical Sciences, Università della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80131 Naples, Italy.
⁶ Internal Medicine, AOU Federico II of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy.
⁷ A.O.R.N."San Giuseppe Moscati", Internal Medicine Department, 83100 Avellino, Italy.
⁸ Department of Diagnostic Imaging "Santa Maria delle Grazie" Hospital, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy.
⁹ Department of Clinical Medicine & Surgery, University Federico II of Naples, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
¹⁰ Department of Hospital Medicine, Unit of Medical Oncology, ASL Napoli 2 Nord, "S.M. delle Grazie" Hospital, Pozzuoli (NA), Italy.

PMID: 33432268
PMCID: PMC7745656
DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2020-0127

The use of chest ultrasonography in suspected cases of COVID-19 in the emergency department

Enrico Allegorico et al. Future Sci OA. 2020.

. 2020 Nov 30;7(1):FSO635.

doi: 10.2144/fsoa-2020-0127.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine "Santa Maria delle Grazie" Hospital, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy.
² Department of Oncology & Hematology, Regional Reference Center for Rare Tumors, AOU Federico II of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy.
³ Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'Analisi e Studio di Correlazione tra Ambiente, Animale e Uomo, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055, Portici (Na), Italy.
⁴ Department of Public Health, Federico II University, 80131 Naples, Italy.
⁵ Department of Medical & Surgical Sciences, Università della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80131 Naples, Italy.
⁶ Internal Medicine, AOU Federico II of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy.
⁷ A.O.R.N."San Giuseppe Moscati", Internal Medicine Department, 83100 Avellino, Italy.
⁸ Department of Diagnostic Imaging "Santa Maria delle Grazie" Hospital, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy.
⁹ Department of Clinical Medicine & Surgery, University Federico II of Naples, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
¹⁰ Department of Hospital Medicine, Unit of Medical Oncology, ASL Napoli 2 Nord, "S.M. delle Grazie" Hospital, Pozzuoli (NA), Italy.

PMID: 33432268
PMCID: PMC7745656
DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2020-0127

Abstract

Aim: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus-specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) represents the diagnostic gold standard. We explored the value of chest ultrasonography to predict positivity to SARS-CoV-2 on RT-PCR in suspected COVID-19 cases.

Patients & methods: Consecutive patients with suspect COVID-19 were included if they had fever and/or history of cough and/or dyspnea. Lung ultrasound score (LUSS) was computed according to published methods.

Results: A total of 76 patients were included. A 3-variable model based on aspartate transaminase (AST) > upper limit of normal, LUSS >12 and body temperature >37.5°C yielded an overall accuracy of 91%.

Conclusion: A simple LUSS-based model may represent a powerful tool for initial assessment in suspected cases of COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; lung ultrasound.

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Conflict of interest statement

Financial & competing interests disclosure C Buonerba is a member of the Future Science OA Editorial Board. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Figures

**Figure 1.. Receiver operating characteristic curves of the models.**

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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[1] Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W. et al. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. N. Engl. J. Med. 382(8), 727–733 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

[2] Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W. et al. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. N. Engl. J. Med. 382(8), 727–733 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

[3] Di Lorenzo G, Buonerba L, Ingenito C. et al. Clinical characteristics of metastatic prostate cancer patients infected with COVID-19 in South Italy. Oncol. (United States) 98, 743–747 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

[4] Di Lorenzo G, Buonerba L, Ingenito C. et al. Clinical characteristics of metastatic prostate cancer patients infected with COVID-19 in South Italy. Oncol. (United States) 98, 743–747 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

[5] Cevik M, Bamford C, Ho A. COVID-19 pandemic – a focused review for clinicians. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. S1198-743X(20)30231-7 (2020). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32344166 - PMC - PubMed

[6] Cevik M, Bamford C, Ho A. COVID-19 pandemic – a focused review for clinicians. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. S1198-743X(20)30231-7 (2020). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32344166 - PMC - PubMed

[7] Onofrio L, Caraglia M, Facchini G, Margherita V, De Placido S, Buonerba C. Toll-like receptors and COVID-19: a two-faced story with an exciting ending. Futur. Sci. OA FSO605 (2020). 10.2144/fsoa-2020-0091 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Onofrio L, Caraglia M, Facchini G, Margherita V, De Placido S, Buonerba C. Toll-like receptors and COVID-19: a two-faced story with an exciting ending. Futur. Sci. OA FSO605 (2020). 10.2144/fsoa-2020-0091 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Yang X, Yu Y, Xu J. et al. Clinical course and outcomes of critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a single-centered, retrospective, observational study. Lancet Respir. Med. 8(5), 475–481 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

[10] Yang X, Yu Y, Xu J. et al. Clinical course and outcomes of critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a single-centered, retrospective, observational study. Lancet Respir. Med. 8(5), 475–481 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

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The use of chest ultrasonography in suspected cases of COVID-19 in the emergency department

Affiliations

The use of chest ultrasonography in suspected cases of COVID-19 in the emergency department

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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References

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