Lung ultrasound examination in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract EN

Background & Objectives: Transthoracic ultrasound (US) of the chest is useful in the evaluation of a parenchymal, pleural, and chest wall diseases.

Furthermore, it is used to guide interventional procedures of the chest and pleural space.

The utility of a lung ultrasound was used in the different phases of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

We investigated lung ultrasound as a method to detect respiratory condition in preterm neonates throughout the course of RDS.

Methods: This study is a prospective study done on 85 preterm newborns with different grades of respiratory distress syndrome, admitted in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in El Galaa teaching hospital in Cairo.

Included in the study were Preterm neonates (< 37 weeks gestation), having respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Postero- anterior view of the chest was done initially on admission in the NICU for diagnosis and grading of RDS.

Lung ultrasound: The first examination was aimed at determining the presence or absence of ultrasound pattern for RDS consisting of diffuse retro- hepatic retero- splenic hyper- echogenicity replacing the normal diaphragm echo- pattern, and estimation of RDS severity.

This was done initially on admission during the first 3 days of life.

The subsequent examinations were done twice weekly were to follow the evolution of the retro- diaphragmatic appearance.

Results after ultrasound examination were Group 1(Resolved RDS): Fifty six (65.8%) preterm neonates resolved from RDS gestational age 34.2±1.5 weeks.

Group 2(BPD): Twenty (23.6%) preterm neonates developed BPD clinically and radiologically, they were 13 (65%) males and 7(35%) females, with mean gestational age, they were 29 (50.2%) males and 27 (49.8%) females, with mean 32.3± 2.2 weeks, whether they were mechanically ventilated or not.

It was concluded that chest ultrasound has a great advantage in the preterm neonates in diagnosing different stages of RDS and in follow up to detect bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).