OBJECTIVES: Point-of-care lung ultrasonography (US) is an alternative to chest radiography for imaging of suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. We compared pediatric emergency department (ED) time metrics between children who received point-of-care lung US versus chest radiography. Secondary objectives were comparisons of health system costs and other resources in these imaging groups. METHODS: This work was a retrospective matched cohort study of children aged 0 to 18 years in an academic urban pediatric ED who were imaged for suspected CAP with either point-of-care lung US or chest radiography. RESULTS: A total of 202 patients (101 in each group) were included in the study. The point-of-care lung US group spent a mean of 75.9 (SE, 14.3) minutes less from physician assessment to discharge (P < .0001) and 60.9 (SE, 18.1) minutes less in the overall ED length of stay (P = .0008). Physician billings and facility fees were both significantly lower (P < .0001) in the point-of-care lung US group, for a mean health systems savings of CAN$187.1 (SE, CAN$21.9). CONCLUSIONS: In children undergoing imaging for suspected CAP in our pediatric ED, point-of-care lung US by pediatric emergency medicine physicians was associated with decreased time and cost compared with chest radiography.
OBJECTIVES: Point-of-care lung ultrasonography (US) is an alternative to chest radiography for imaging of suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. We compared pediatric emergency department (ED) time metrics between children who received point-of-care lung US versus chest radiography. Secondary objectives were comparisons of health system costs and other resources in these imaging groups. METHODS: This work was a retrospective matched cohort study of children aged 0 to 18 years in an academic urban pediatric ED who were imaged for suspected CAP with either point-of-care lung US or chest radiography. RESULTS: A total of 202 patients (101 in each group) were included in the study. The point-of-care lung US group spent a mean of 75.9 (SE, 14.3) minutes less from physician assessment to discharge (P < .0001) and 60.9 (SE, 18.1) minutes less in the overall ED length of stay (P = .0008). Physician billings and facility fees were both significantly lower (P < .0001) in the point-of-care lung US group, for a mean health systems savings of CAN$187.1 (SE, CAN$21.9). CONCLUSIONS: In children undergoing imaging for suspected CAP in our pediatric ED, point-of-care lung US by pediatric emergency medicine physicians was associated with decreased time and cost compared with chest radiography.
Authors: Joanna Jaworska; Anna Komorowska-Piotrowska; Andrzej Pomiećko; Jakub Wiśniewski; Mariusz Woźniak; Błażej Littwin; Magdalena Kryger; Piotr Kwaśniewicz; Józef Szczyrski; Katarzyna Kulińska-Szukalska; Natalia Buda; Zbigniew Doniec; Wojciech Kosiak Journal: Diagnostics (Basel) Date: 2020-11-11
Authors: Adil Elabbas; Rabia Choudhary; Dedeepya Gullapalli; Shreeya Mistry; Farzana M H; Abbas H Mallick; Eseoghene P Kevu; Javaria Asif; Jihan A Mostafa Journal: Cureus Date: 2022-02-21
Authors: Manuel Sobrino Toro; José Luis Vázquez Martínez; Ricardo Viana Falcão; Arnaldo Prata-Barbosa; Antonio José Ledo Alves da Cunha Journal: J Pediatr (Rio J) Date: 2020-08-09 Impact factor: 2.990