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. 2024 Feb 1;52(2):e100-e104.
doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000006118. Epub 2023 Nov 13.

Use of Lung Ultrasound in the New Definitions of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Increases the Occurrence Rate of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Coen Plantinga  1 , Peter Klompmaker  1   2   3   4 , Mark E Haaksma  1   2   3   4 , Amne Mousa  1   2   3   4 , Siebe G Blok  1   2   3   4 , Micah L A Heldeweg  1   2   3   4 , Frederique Paulus  4 , Marcus J Schultz  4 , Pieter R Tuinman  1   2   3   4
Affiliations

Use of Lung Ultrasound in the New Definitions of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Increases the Occurrence Rate of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Coen Plantinga et al. Crit Care Med. .

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the effect of incorporating bilateral abnormalities as detected by lung ultrasound (LUS) in the Kigali modification and the New Global definition of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) on the occurrence rate of ARDS.

Design: Post hoc analysis of a previously published prospective cohort study.

Setting: An academic mixed medical-surgical ICU.

Patients: The original study included critically ill adults with any opacity on chest radiography in whom subsequent LUS was performed. Patients with ARDS according to the Berlin definition, COVID-19 patients and patients with major thorax trauma were excluded.

Interventions: None.

Measurements and main results: LUS was performed within 24 hours of chest radiography and the presence of unilateral and bilateral abnormalities on LUS and chest radiograph (opacities) was scored. Subsequently, the Kigali modification and the New Global definition of ARDS were applied by two independent researchers on the patients with newly found bilateral opacities. Of 120 patients, 116 were included in this post hoc analysis. Thirty-three patients had bilateral opacities on LUS and unilateral opacities on chest radiograph. Fourteen of these patients had ARDS according to the Kigali modification and 12 had ARDS according to the New Global definition. The detected LUS patterns were significantly different between patients with and without ARDS ( p = 0.004). An A-profile with a positive PosteroLateral Alveolar and/or Pleural Syndrome was most prevalent in patients without ARDS, whereas heterogeneous and mixed A, B, and C patterns were most prevalent in patients with ARDS.

Conclusion: The addition of bilateral abnormalities as detected by LUS to the Kigali modification and the New Global definition increases the occurrence rate of the ARDS. The nomenclature for LUS needs to be better defined as LUS patterns differ between patients with and without ARDS. Incorporating well-defined LUS criteria can increase specificity and sensitivity of new ARDS definitions.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest.

Comment in

  • Occurrence or Detection of Occurrence.
    Zijlstra GJ. Zijlstra GJ. Crit Care Med. 2024 May 1;52(5):e253. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000006201. Epub 2024 Apr 15. Crit Care Med. 2024. PMID: 38619354 No abstract available.

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