Evaluation of Point of Care Ultrasound as a Diagnostic Tool for the Diagnosis of Pneumonia in Emergency Department

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Bedside lung ultrasound has become an essential tool for the diagnosis of pleural effusions, thoracocentesis and biopsy-guided procedures; however, it has recently been shown to be highly effective in evaluating pulmonary conditions such as pneumonia and pneumothorax. Objectives: To investigate the utility of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) for the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). Methodology: This was a hospital based prospective observational study. 50 patients above the age of 18 years presenting to the emergency department with clinical suspicion of pneumonia were evaluated by chest x-ray, bedside lung ultrasound using portable ultrasound machine. Patients with inconclusive results underwent chest CT. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of ultrasonography were compared with the chest X-ray. Results: In our study, sensitivity of point of care ultrasound in diagnosing pneumonia was 89.13% whereas that of chest x-ray - 73.91%. The Negative Predicted value of ultrasound was 44.4% and chest x-ray had a negative predicted value 25%. Conclusion: POCUS is a reliable tool for evaluation of lung parenchymal pathologies in the emergency department and is probably superior to bedside CXR as it may help emergency physicians in faster diagnosis and early initiation of appropriate treatment. Key words: POCUS, Community Acquired Pneumonia