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Congress: ECR25
Poster Number: C-25628
Type: Poster: EPOS Radiologist (scientific)
Authorblock: E-R. Stoicescu, D. Manolescu, R. Iacob; Timisoara/RO
Disclosures:
Emil-Robert Stoicescu: Nothing to disclose
Diana Manolescu: Nothing to disclose
Roxana Iacob: Nothing to disclose
Keywords: Lung, Paediatric, Thorax, Ultrasound, Ultrasound-Colour Doppler, Experimental investigations, Outcomes analysis, Radiation safety, Acute, Infection, Inflammation
Purpose Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are a leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations worldwide, contributing significantly to morbidity and healthcare burden. Differentiating between viral and bacterial pneumonia in pediatric patients is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies, reducing unnecessary antibiotic use, and improving patient outcomes.Traditional diagnostic methods, such as chest radiography and laboratory biomarkers, have limitations in sensitivity and specificity, often leading to overuse of antibiotics. Lung ultrasound (LUS) has emerged as a promising imaging modality due to its portability, lack of...
Read more Methods and materials This study was conducted at the ‘Dr. Victor Babes’ Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophthisiology Timisoara between February 2022 and October 2023.A total of 85 children, aged 1 month to 14 years, were prospectively recruited following a clinical diagnosis of LRTIs. All patients underwent comprehensive clinical evaluation, including history-taking, physical examination, and laboratory testing.  [fig 1]  LUS was performed using a 12-zone scoring system to quantify lung involvement, with scores assigned based on the presence and severity of specific ultrasound features, including...
Read more Results Among the 85 pediatric patients enrolled, 74 (87.1%) were diagnosed with viral infections, while 11 (12.9%) had bacterial pneumonia. LUS findings demonstrated a clear distinction between bacterial and viral pneumonia cases.Patients with bacterial pneumonia exhibited significantly higher LUSS (median = 10, range 8–13.5) compared to those with viral infections (median = 3, range 1–6) (p < 0.0001).  [fig 2]  Specific LUS abnormalities, including confluent B-lines, pleural irregularities, and subpleural consolidations, were observed more frequently in bacterial pneumonia cases. Notably, large consolidations (> 1...
Read more Conclusion This study underscores the clinical utility of LUS in distinguishing bacterial from viral pneumonia in pediatric patients with LRTIs. Bacterial infections were associated with more severe lung involvement, as evidenced by significantly higher LUSS, increased frequency of pleural abnormalities, and the presence of large consolidations. In contrast, viral pneumonia exhibited a more diffuse pattern of interstitial involvement, with lower LUSS and fewer large consolidations.The high sensitivity and specificity of LUS findings, particularly the presence of large consolidations, suggest that lung...
Read more References 1. Stoicescu, E.R.; Iacob, R.; Ilie, A.C.; Iacob, E.R.; Susa, S.R.; Ghenciu, L.A.; Constantinescu, A.; Cocolea, D.M.; Oancea, C.; Manolescu, D.L. Differentiating Viral from Bacterial Pneumonia in Children: The Diagnostic Role of Lung Ultrasound—A Prospective Observational Study. Diagnostics 2024, 14, 480. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics140504802. Stoicescu, E.R.; Iacob, R.; Ilie, A.C.; Iacob, E.R.; Susa, S.R.; Ghenciu, L.A.; Constantinescu, A.; Cocolea, D.M.; Ciornei-Hoffman, A.; Oancea, C.; et al. Stratifying Disease Severity in Pediatric COVID-19: A Correlative Study of Serum Biomarkers and Lung Ultrasound—A Retrospective Observational Dual-Center Study....
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