Lung ultrasound in early prediction of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in pre-term babies

• Published in: Journal of ultrasound 2024-09, Vol.27 (3), p.653-662
• Main Authors: Abdelrazek, Abdelrahman A., Kamel, Sara Mahmoud, Elbakry, Aya Ahmed Elshahat, Elmazzahy, Esraa Ahmed
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia - diagnostic imaging; Cohort Studies; Female; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Lung - diagnostic imaging; Lung diseases; Lungs; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Paper; Predictions; Predictive Value of Tests; Premature babies; Prospective Studies; Regression analysis; Sensitivity analysis; Sensitivity and Specificity; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonography - methods; Ultrasound
• ISSN: 1876-7931; 1971-3495; 1876-7931
• DOI: 10.1007/s40477-024-00913-9

Purpose Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a respiratory morbidity related to prematurity. Early prediction of BPD allows the selection of patients who would benefit from new therapies. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a non-invasive diagnostic tool that has proven to be reliable for many neonatal diseases recently. The study aimed to detect the role of LUS in predicting BPD at days 7 and 14 of life in preterm babies. Methods This was a prospective cohort study that included 95 preterm babies ≤ 34 weeks. Lung ultrasounds were performed on days 7 and 14 of life. Results The mean gestational age of the studied neonates was 30.25 ± 2.21 weeks. The mean birth weight was 1347.66 ± 432.14 gm. Patients who developed BPD had statistically significantly higher LUS scores on both days 7 and 14 of life. At first examination, a LUS score > 8 showed a sensitivity of 83.33% and a specificity of 60.87%, whereas at follow-up, a LUS score > 8 showed a sensitivity of 76.39% and a specificity of 82.61%. The multivariate logistic regression analysis shows that the most important factors associated with BPD were gestational age ≤ 30 weeks, LUS score at first examination > 8, platelets ≤ 245 × 10 9 /L, segment neutrophils ≤ 42%, and CRP > 5 mg/l. Conclusions The LUS score predicts BPD at 7 and 14 days of life. LUS scores increased with increasing BPD severity. LUS score > 8 was an independent factor in the prediction of BPD.