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Observational Study
. 2021 Jun 4;18(11):6083.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18116083.

The Risk of Hospitalization in COVID-19 Patients Can Be Predicted by Lung Ultrasound in Primary Care

Javier Martínez-Redondo  1 , Carles Comas  2 , Jesús Pujol Salud  1   3 , Montserrat Crespo-Pons  1 , Cristina García-Serrano  1   4 , Marta Ortega Bravo  4   5 , Jose María Palacín Peruga  6
Affiliations
Observational Study

The Risk of Hospitalization in COVID-19 Patients Can Be Predicted by Lung Ultrasound in Primary Care

Javier Martínez-Redondo et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The usefulness of Lung Ultrasound (LUS) for the diagnosis of interstitial syndrome caused by COVID-19 has been broadly described. The aim of this study was to evaluate if LUS may predict the complications (hospital admission) of COVID-19 pneumonia in primary care patients.

Methods: This observational study collects data from a cohort of 279 patients with clinical symptoms of COVID-19 pneumonia who attended the Balaguer Primary Health Care Area between 16 March 2020 and 30 September 2020. We collected the results of LUS scans reported by one general practitioner. We created a database and analysed the absolute and relative frequencies of LUS findings and their association with hospital admission. We found that different LUS patterns (diffuse, attenuated diffuse, and predominantly unilateral) were risk factors for hospital admission (p < 0.05). Additionally, an evolutionary pattern during the acute phase represented a risk factor (p = 0.0019). On the contrary, a normal ultrasound pattern was a protective factor (p = 0.0037). Finally, the presence of focal interstitial pattern was not associated with hospital admission (p = 0.4918).

Conclusion: The lung ultrasound was useful to predict complications in COVID-19 pneumonia and to diagnose other lung diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis, pulmonary embolism, chronic interstitial pneumopathy, pleuropericarditis, pneumonia or heart failure.

Keywords: COVID-19; assessment risk; hospitalization; lung interstitial disease; primary health-care; ultrasound.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sample distribution.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Difference between normal and pathological lung field in COVID-19 pneumonia. (a) Pulmonary field between two ribs. Normal pleural line with reverberation artefact (A Lines); (b) Pulmonary field between two ribs. Pleural thickening line with lung rockets artefacts (B Lines).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Others LUS findinds in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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