We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Lung Ultrasound Used to Manage Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients Leads to Huge Time Savings as Compared to Chest CT

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 22 Jun 2021
Image: Mindray DP-50 Portable USG System (Photo courtesy of Mindray)
Image: Mindray DP-50 Portable USG System (Photo courtesy of Mindray)
The use of lung ultrasound allows medical personnel to monitor the progress of COVID-19 patients with considerable time savings as compared to traditional radiology, according to new research.

In their study, researchers from the University of Udine (Udine, Italy) calculated the time necessary to perform lung ultrasound in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Lung ultrasound is a well-established diagnostic tool in acute respiratory failure, and it is particularly suited for identification, grading, and follow-up of lung involvement severity. In critically ill COVID-19 patients, lung ultrasound is an alternative to chest radiography, chest CT or electric impedance tomography to quantify pulmonary impairment, follow lung involvement changes, or predict an intensive care unit (ICU) stay of more than 30 days or death.

Since medical personnel involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients wear special protective equipment, it increases the workload dramatically through temperature imbalance, touch impairment, communication problems, and visual difficulties. In this specific work scenario, lung ultrasound may be seen as an extra task that can be a loss of time. Researchers conducted a study to see if the use of lung ultrasound would allow them to monitor the progress of COVID-19 patients with considerable time savings as compared to traditional radiology. Using a Philips Affiniti 70 G ultrasound machine with a convex probe, the team calculated the lung ultrasound in 25 patients admitted to the COVID-19 ICU and the time needed to perform the exam. For scanning 25 different patients, the median time was 4.2 minutes (IQR 3.6-4.5).

To quantify the saved time, the researchers measured the time necessary to prepare, transport, perform and return from a chest CT scan with all the protective equipment. The team calculated a median time required for 25 chest CT scans of 85 minutes (IQR 78.5- 97.5). The time saved for each patient using lung ultrasound would have been about 80.8 minutes. Therefore, the researchers concluded that using lung ultrasound instead of CT to monitor critically ill patients with COVID-19, can free medical personnel to perform other duties.

Additionally, the researchers noted that while repeat CT scans may be impractical and unsafe for patients and operators, lung ultrasound may be the default imaging modality for monitoring patients' conditions throughout their hospital stay and after discharge. However, they cautioned that the use of lung ultrasound does not replace the CT scan, which is necessary to exclude pulmonary or cardiovascular complications in case of the clinical worsening of the patient. Ultimately, the researchers performed a daily topographic ultrasound evaluation of the lung without moving the patient, thereby reducing the number of chest X-rays and CT scans and saving considerable time.

Related Links:
University of Udine

Portable Color Doppler Ultrasound System
S5000
New
Diagnostic Ultrasound System
DC-80A
Ultrasound Imaging System
P12 Elite
Medical Radiographic X-Ray Machine
TR30N HF

Channels

Ultrasound

view channel
Image: The new implantable device for chronic pain management is small and flexible (Photo courtesy of The Zhou Lab at USC)

Wireless Chronic Pain Management Device to Reduce Need for Painkillers and Surgery

Chronic pain affects millions of people globally, often leading to long-term disability and dependence on opioid medications, which carry significant risks of side effects and addiction.... Read more

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: The diagnostic tool could improve diagnosis and treatment decisions for patients with chronic lung infections (Photo courtesy of SNMMI)

Novel Bacteria-Specific PET Imaging Approach Detects Hard-To-Diagnose Lung Infections

Mycobacteroides abscessus is a rapidly growing mycobacteria that primarily affects immunocompromised patients and those with underlying lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.