Proposal for International Standardization of the Use of Lung Ultrasound for Patients With COVID-19: A Simple, Quantitative, Reproducible Method

J Ultrasound Med. 2020 Jul;39(7):1413-1419. doi: 10.1002/jum.15285. Epub 2020 Apr 13.

Abstract

Growing evidence is showing the usefulness of lung ultrasound in patients with the 2019 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has now spread in almost every country in the world. In this study, we share our experience and propose a standardized approach to optimize the use of lung ultrasound in patients with COVID-19. We focus on equipment, procedure, classification, and data sharing.

Keywords: COVID-19; lung ultrasound; point-of-care ultrasound; scoring system.

MeSH terms

  • Anatomic Landmarks
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnostic imaging*
  • Databases, Factual
  • Forecasting
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Internationality
  • Lung / diagnostic imaging*
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnostic imaging*
  • Point-of-Care Systems
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Ultrasonography / standards*