In Preterm babies, Lung ultrasound scores useful to predict Bronchopulmonary dysplasia: Study

The key findings of study were;

Infants with the highest and lowest LUS scores within the initial three days expressed a significant association with the development of moderate-to-severe BPD (p < .001) with the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve values from 0.684 to 0.913 and 0.647 to 0.902, respectively. High LUS scores were also linked to the requirement for mechanical ventilation (p < .001) despite no significant correlation found with the duration of mechanical ventilation.

The highest LUS scores within the first three days of life being sepsis and the presence of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) emerged as significant risk factors.

This study establishes LUS scores as predictors of BPD and the need for invasive ventilation. These findings open possibilities for early intervention and personalized care strategies for the vulnerable preterm population by potentially reshaping the management of respiratory distress in neonatal intensive care units.

Reference:

Aliyev, F., Kayki, G., Annakkaya Kocyigit, T., İyigun, İ., & Yigit, S. (2023). Lung ultrasound scores within the first 3 days of life to predict respiratory outcomes. In Pediatric Pulmonology. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.26804