SEPAR-AEER Consensus Recommendations on the Usefulness of the Thoracic Ultrasound in the Management of the Patient with Suspected or Confirmed Infection with COVID-19

Autors de IIS La Fe

• Enrique Cases Viedma

  Autor

Autors aliens a IIS La Fe

• Pallares, JP
• Aldeyturriaga, JF
• Perez, RC

Grups d'Investigació

• Infecciones Respiratorias

  Investigador Principal

  Raúl Méndez Ocaña

• Neumología

  

  Leader

  Miguel Ángel Martínez García

Abstract

The great pulmonary affectation produced by the COVID-19 infection, requires a fast diagnostic tool that complements the diagnostic test by PCR and which is also useful in evaluating the progression of lung lesions. Since most of these are peripheral, in this consensus document we propose the use of thoracic ultrasound for early diagnosis and for the daily evaluation of the progression of lung lesions by a single explorer without the need to use the chest CT. In this consensus, it is proposed to carry out a systematic ultrasound examination of the thorax dividing it by quadrants and therefore identifying the ultrasound signs that are related to the type of parenchymal or pleural affectation that the patient has: A lines, B lines, parenchymal condensation, pleural line and pleural effusion. These findings will facilitate the decision making regarding the patient management, both when deciding the place of admission of the patient and the type of treatment to be prescribed (C) 2020 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espan ? a, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Keywords

• Ultrasound; Coronavirus; Pneumonia; B-lines; Pleura; Pleural effussion