Ultrasound lungs better than X-rays in COVID pneumonia screening; finds study

Results further revealed a Specificity of 33.3% (95% CI 16.5-54.0) for ultrasound and 44.4% (95% CI 25.5-64.7) for x-ray.

The study findings are validated and supported by another Philadelphia physician and it mirrored the findings of his own research – about the accuracy of ultrasound versus x-ray screening for atypical pneumonia in COVID-19.

"Common findings with ultrasound in COVID-19 patients include thickened irregular pleural lines, vertical artifact (B-lines) which represent inflammatory changes in the lung, and absence of normal horizontal artifacts (A-lines)," said Laith R. Sultan, of the department of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania. He went on to add that "findings from COVID-19 pneumonia can have similarities with findings from other viral causes of pneumonia. In our article, we showed that some findings are very specific to COVID-19, e.g., the skip area seen in pleural lines and B-lines and absence of blood flow on Doppler. These findings can be related to the acute inflammatory process that take place in COVID-19."

Primary Source: American College of Emergency Physicians

Source Reference: Gibbons R "Lung ultrasound versus chest x-ray for the diagnosis of COVID-19" ACEP 2020; Abstract 6.