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. 2022 Nov 1;50(11):1607-1617.
doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000005620. Epub 2022 Jul 21.

Lung Ultrasound Signs to Diagnose and Discriminate Interstitial Syndromes in ICU Patients: A Diagnostic Accuracy Study in Two Cohorts

Micah L A Heldeweg  1   2 , Marry R Smit  3 , Shelley R Kramer-Elliott  4 , Mark E Haaksma  1   2 , Jasper M Smit  1   2 , Laura A Hagens  3 , Nanon F L Heijnen  5 , Annemijn H Jonkman  1 , Frederique Paulus  3 , Marcus J Schultz  3 , Armand R J Girbes  1 , Leo M A Heunks  1 , Lieuwe D J Bos  3 , Pieter R Tuinman  1   2
Affiliations

Lung Ultrasound Signs to Diagnose and Discriminate Interstitial Syndromes in ICU Patients: A Diagnostic Accuracy Study in Two Cohorts

Micah L A Heldeweg et al. Crit Care Med. .

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound signs for both the diagnosis of interstitial syndrome and for the discrimination of noncardiogenic interstitial syndrome (NCIS) from cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE) in a mixed ICU population.

Design: A prospective diagnostic accuracy study with derivation and validation cohorts.

Setting: Three academic mixed ICUs in the Netherlands.

Patients: Consecutive adult ICU patients that received a lung ultrasound examination.

Interventions: None.

Measurements and main result: The reference standard was the diagnosis of interstitial syndrome (NCIS or CPE) or noninterstitial syndromes (other pulmonary diagnoses and no pulmonary diagnoses) based on full post-hoc clinical chart review except lung ultrasound. The index test was a lung ultrasound examination performed and scored by a researcher blinded to clinical information. A total of 101 patients were included in the derivation and 122 in validation cohort. In the derivation cohort, patients with interstitial syndrome ( n = 56) were reliably discriminated from other patients based on the presence of a B-pattern (defined as greater than or equal to 3 B-lines in one frame) with an accuracy of 94.7% (sensitivity, 90.9%; specificity, 91.1%). For discrimination of NCIS ( n = 29) from CPE ( n = 27), the presence of bilateral pleural line abnormalities (at least two: fragmented, thickened or irregular) had the highest diagnostic accuracy (94.6%; sensitivity, 89.3%; specificity, 100%). A diagnostic algorithm (Bedside Lung Ultrasound for Interstitial Syndrome Hierarchy protocol) using B-pattern and bilateral pleural abnormalities had an accuracy of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.77-0.95) for diagnosis and discrimination of interstitial syndromes. In the validation cohort, which included 122 patients with interstitial syndrome, bilateral pleural line abnormalities discriminated NCIS ( n = 98) from CPE ( n = 24) with a sensitivity of 31% (95% CI, 21-40%) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI, 86-100%).

Conclusions: Lung ultrasound can diagnose and discriminate interstitial syndromes in ICU patients with moderate-to-good accuracy. Pleural line abnormalities are highly specific for NCIS, but sensitivity is limited.

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Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Tuinman received support for article research from departmental funds. The remaining authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest.

Comment in

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