A Prospective International Lung Ultrasound Analysis Study in Tertiary Maternity Wards During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Pandemic

• Published in: Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine 2021-09, Vol.40 (9), p.1991-1996
• Main Authors: Moro, Francesca, Buonsenso, Danilo, Merwe, Johannes, Bourne, Tom, Deprest, Jan, Froyman, Wouter, Inchingolo, Riccardo, Smargiassi, Andrea, Mascilini, Floriana, Moruzzi, Maria Cristina, Ciccarone, Francesca, Landolfo, Chiara, Lanzone, Antonio, Scambia, Giovanni, Timmerman, Dirk, Testa, Antonia Carla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Letter to the Editor
• ISSN: 0278-4297; 1550-9613
• DOI: 10.1002/jum.15569

[...]no data are reported on the treatment of asymptomatic pregnant patients testing positive for COVID‐19 or pregnant patients admitted to delivery rooms. [...]this test has a high false‐negative rate, due to both a nasopharyngeal swab sampling error, which often requires repeated sampling, and a low viral burden.9 Currently, high‐resolution computed tomography (CT) is the main tool for the primary diagnosis and evaluation of respiratory disease severity in patients with COVID‐19.10-12 Computed tomography of the chest has higher specificity than nasal/pharyngeal swabs for diagnosis.13 Therefore, several clinicians are now routinely using CT as a screening tool. Secondary objectives are as follows: (1) to investigate the possibility of reducing the number of scanning planes without losing accuracy; all patients will be scanned in 14 different areas, but it might result in the finding that some areas are more commonly involved, which will be assessed at the end of the study; (2) to compare LUS with PCR testing to predict the clinical status 1 week after admission; (3) to describe LUS features of COVID19‐positive pregnant women and their changes in a 1‐week follow‐up; (4) to compare symptoms and laboratory results with the LUS features; (5) to calculate the number of avoided CT scans in symptomatic pregnant patients; and (6) to collect clips and images for artificial intelligence research. Definition of a suspected case (World Health Organization and International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology guideline)6: (1) a patient with acute respiratory illness (fever and at least 1 sign/symptom of respiratory disease [eg, cough or shortness of breath]) and with no other etiology that fully explains the clinical presentation and a history of travel to or residence in a country/area or territory reporting local transmission of COVID‐19 infection during the 14 days before symptom onset; or (2) a patient with any acute respiratory illness and who has been in contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID‐19 infection in the 14 days before onset of symptoms; or (3) a patient with severe acute respiratory infection (fever and at least 1 sign/symptom of respiratory disease [eg, cough or shortness of breath]) and who requires hospitalization and who has no other etiology that fully explains the clinical presentation.