title: Point-of-care lung ultrasound in children with community acquired pneumonia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present lung ultrasound findings in children assessed with suspected pneumonia in the emergency department and to show the benefit of lung ultrasound in diagnosing pneumonia in comparison with chest X-rays.
  
  
  METHODS
  This observational prospective study was performed in the pediatric emergency department of a single center. Point of care lung ultrasound was performed on each child by an independent sonographer blinded to the patient's clinical and chest X-ray findings. Community acquired pneumonia was established as a final diagnosis by two clinicians based on the recommendations in the British Thoracic Society guideline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred sixty children with a mean age of 3.3±4years and a median age of 1.4years (min-max 0.08-17.5years) were investigated. Final diagnosis in 149 children was community-acquired pneumonia. Lung ultrasound findings were compatible with pneumonia in 142 (95.3%) of these 149 children, while chest X-ray findings were compatible with pneumonia in 132 (88.5%). Pneumonia was confirmed with lung ultrasound in 15 of the 17 patients (11.4%) not evaluated as compatible with pneumonia at chest X-ray. While pneumonia could not be confirmed with lung ultrasound in seven (4.6%) patients, findings compatible with pneumonia were not determined at chest X-ray in two of these patients. When lung ultrasound and chest X-ray were compared as diagnostic tools, a significant difference was observed between them (p=0.041).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that lung ultrasound is at least as useful as chest X-ray in diagnosing children with community-acquired pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Emergency, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey. Electronic address: hly@superonline.com.
authors.forename: Hayri Levent
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Division of Pediatric Emergency, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey. Electronic address: kaganozkaya@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ahmet Kağan
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Özkaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Emergency, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey. Electronic address: sinemsr@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Sinem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarı Gökay
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Emergency, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey. Electronic address: Otolu80@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Özlem
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Tolu Kendir
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey. Electronic address: handesenol@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hande
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Şenol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014421:Turkey; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Children; Community-acquired pneumonia; Point of care lung ultrasound