title: Performance comparison of lung ultrasound and chest x-ray for the diagnosis of pneumonia in the ED.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to assess the potential of bedside lung ultrasound examination by the attending emergency physician in the diagnosis of acute pneumonia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This observational single-center study was conducted between January 2010 and June 2012 in the emergency unit of a general hospital, and analyzed 144 adult patients. The ultrasound examination was performed by one of five trained emergency physicians, and a chest radiograph interpreted by a radiologist. The primary end point was the diagnosis of hospital discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a sensitivity of 0.95 for the ultrasound examination against 0.6 for radiography (P < .05). The negative predictive value was 0.67 against 0.25 for radiography (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results exhort to promote the use of thoracic ultrasound in the first-line diagnosis of pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Emergency, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Department, Lourdes Hospital, Lourdes, France. Electronic address: je.bourcier@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jean-Eudes
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bourcier
authors.affiliation: Emergency, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Department, Lourdes Hospital, Lourdes, France.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paquet
authors.affiliation: Emergency, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Department, Lourdes Hospital, Lourdes, France.
authors.forename: Mickael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seinger
authors.affiliation: Emergency, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Department, Lourdes Hospital, Lourdes, France.
authors.forename: Emeric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gallard
authors.affiliation: Emergency, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Department, Lourdes Hospital, Lourdes, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Redonnet
authors.affiliation: Emergency, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Department, Lourdes Hospital, Lourdes, France.
authors.forename: Fouad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cheddadi
authors.affiliation: Emergency, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Department, Lourdes Hospital, Lourdes, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.affiliation: CFFE (Centre Francophone de Formation en Echographie) and, Centre Médical Delta, Nîmes, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.affiliation: Anesthesiology and Critical Care Department, Toulouse University Hospital, University Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geeraerts
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography