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Research Article: Sono-Elastography: An Ultrasound Quantitative Non-Invasive Measurement to Guide Bacterial Pneumonia Diagnosis in Children

Date Published: 2023-08-01

Abstract:
Lung ultrasound (LUS) is, at present, a standard technique for the diagnosis of acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTI) and other lung pathologies. Its protocolised use has replaced chest radiography and has led to a drastic reduction in radiation exposure in children. Despite its undeniable usefulness, there are situations in which certain quantitative measurements could provide additional data to differentiate the etiology of some pulmonary processes and thus adapt the treatment. Our research group hypothesises that several lung processes such pneumonia may lead to altered lung tissue stiffness, which could be quantified with new diagnostic tests such as lung sono-elastography (SE). An exhaustive review of the literature has been carried out, concluding that the role of SE for the study of pulmonary processes is currently scarce and poorly studied, particularly in pediatrics. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the technical aspects of SE and to explore its potential usefulness as a non-invasive diagnostic technique for ALRTI in children by implementing an institutional image acquisition protocol.

Introduction:
Acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTI) are highly prevalent in pediatric patients and represent one of the main reasons for hospital admissions. Pneumonia, which is included in ALRTI, is the leading cause of death in children worldwide, accounting for more than 2 million deaths each year. It is also the most common cause of childhood morbidity and mortality [1,2] and one of the most common causes of admission to pediatric intensive care units [3]. Clinical manifestations of pneumonia depend on the host,…

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