Our Italian Experience Using Lung Ultrasound for Identification, Grading and Serial Follow-up of Severity of Lung Involvement for Management of Patients with COVID-19
- Luigi Vetrugno,
- Tiziana Bove,
- Daniele Orso,
- Federico Barbariol,
- Flavio Bassi,
- Enrico Boero,
- Giovanni Ferrari,
- Robert Kong,
- Daniel A. Lichtenstein
Tiziana Bove
Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Italy
Daniele Orso
Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Italy
Federico Barbariol
University-Hospital of Udine, Italy
Flavio Bassi
University-Hospital of Udine, Italy
Enrico Boero
Anesthesia and Intensive Care, San Giovanni Bosco Hospital, Torino, Italy
Giovanni Ferrari
SC Pneumologia ad Indirizzo Semi Intensivo, Azienda Ospedaliera Ordine Mauriziano
Robert Kong
Cardiac Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, Brighton & Sussex University Hospital, Brighton BN2 5BE United Kingdom
Daniel A. Lichtenstein
Medical Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Ambroise Paré (AP-HP), Paris-West university, 9 avenue Charles de Gaulle, F-92100, Boulogne (Paris-West), France.
Abstract
Lung ultrasound (LU) has rapidly become a tool for assessment of patients stricken by the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Over the past two and a half months (January, February and first half of March 2020) we have used this modality for identification of lung involvement along with pulmonary severity in patients with suspected or documented COVID-19 infection. Use of LU has helped us in clinical decision making and reduced the use of both chest x-rays and computed tomography (CT).
