Lung ultrasound in COVID-19: a useful diagnostic tool


Published: 28 April 2020
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Authors

  • Gianmarco Secco Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Training Program, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
  • Marzia Delorenzo Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Training Program, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
  • Caterina Zattera Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Training Program, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
  • Bianca Giacomuzzi Moore Internal Medicine, Hôpital de Morges (Ensemble Hopitalier de la Côte), Morge, Switzerland.
  • Lorenzo Demitry Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Training Program, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
  • Giulia Vezzoni Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Training Program, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
  • Flavia Resta Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Training Program, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
  • Bruno Barcella Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Training Program, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
  • Giovanni Cappa Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Training Program, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
  • Tiziano Perrone Internal Medicine, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
  • Francesco Salinaro Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Training Program, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
  • Stefano Perlini Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Training Program, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), caused by a novel enveloped RNA betacoronavirus, has recently been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). The lack of knowledge at the beginning of the pandemics, associated with the inherent risk of infective spreading, makes initial recognition and management particularly complex, in terms of defining effective diagnostic and therapeutic protocols. In the Emergency setting, Lung Ultrasound (LUS) can play an important role in the management of patients with SARS-CoV2-related pneumonia, expanding from the initial diagnosis to the subsequent monitoring and follow-up. Among many other potential advantages (such has the absence of ionizing radiation, its inherent costeffectiveness, and bedside repeatability), LUS provides immediate diagnostic response and might prevent the risk of spreading the infection by moving the patient from the Emergency Room to the Radiology facilities. Aim of this short review is to define the potential role of lung ultrasound in Covid-19 patients, according to the evidence in the medical literature


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Secco, G., Delorenzo, M., Zattera, C., Giacomuzzi Moore, B., Demitry, L., Vezzoni, G., Resta, F., Barcella, B., Cappa, G., Perrone, T., Salinaro, F., & Perlini, S. (2020). Lung ultrasound in COVID-19: a useful diagnostic tool. Emergency Care Journal, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/ecj.2020.9017

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