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. 2022 Nov 30;11(23):7126.
doi: 10.3390/jcm11237126.

Thoracic UltrasONOgraphy Reporting: The TUONO Study

Italo Calamai  1 , Massimiliano Greco  2   3 , Stefano Finazzi  4 , Marzia Savi  2   3 , Gaia Vitiello  4 , Elena Garbero  4 , Rosario Spina  1 , Andrea Montisci  5 , Silvia Mongodi  6 , Guido Bertolini  7 ; TUONO study investigators
Affiliations

Thoracic UltrasONOgraphy Reporting: The TUONO Study

Italo Calamai et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a validated technique for the prompt diagnosis and bedside monitoring of critically ill patients due to its availability, safety profile, and cost-effectiveness. The aim of this work is to detect similarities and differences among LUS reports performed in ICUs and to provide a common ground for an integrated report form. We collected all LUS reports during an index week in 21 ICUs from the GiViTI network. First, we considered signs, chest areas, and terminology reported. Then, we compared different report structures and categorized them as structured reports (SRs), provided with a predefined model form, and free unstructured text reports (FTRs) that had no predetermined structure. We analyzed 171 reports from 21 ICUs, and 59 reports from 5 ICUs were structured. All the reports presented a qualitative description that mainly focused on the presence of B-lines, consolidations, and pleural effusion. Zones were defined in 66 reports (39%). In SRs, a complete examination of all the regions was more frequently achieved (96% vs. 74%), and a higher impact on therapeutic strategies was observed (17% vs. 6%). LUS reports vary significantly among different centers. Adopting an integrated SR seems to promote a systematic approach in scanning and reporting, with a potential impact on LUS clinical applications.

Keywords: critical care; lung; point-of-care; surveys and questionnaires; ultrasound.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Spider web chart representing the main parenchymal features reported. Values are expressed as n (%).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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