Diagnostic Accuracy of Lung Ultrasound versus Chest X ray for Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Hospitalised Children

Community acquired pneumonia is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children worldwide particularly in low and middle income countries. Early and accurate diagnosis is important for prompt treatment and prevention of complications. Chest radiography has traditionally been used as the standard imaging modality for diagnosis of pneumonia but it exposes children to ionizing radiation and may not always be readily available. Lung ultrasound is a bedside imaging modality which is non invasive radiation free and can be performed repeatedly without harm. Recent studies suggest that lung ultrasound has good diagnostic accuracy for detecting pneumonia in children.

This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound compared with chest radiography in hospitalized children with clinically suspected community acquired pneumonia. Children aged one month to eighteen years presenting with symptoms suggestive of pneumonia will be enrolled after obtaining informed consent from parents or guardians. Each child will undergo both lung ultrasound and chest radiography. The sensitivity specificity positive predictive value and negative predictive value of lung ultrasound will be calculated and compared with chest radiography and clinical diagnosis. The findings of this study may help determine the usefulness of lung ultrasound as a bedside diagnostic tool in pediatric pneumonia.