Acute bronchiolitis (AB) is a common cause of respiratory tract infections in infants. A recent study looked at the application of Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound (LUS) in infants <12 months who presented with symptoms of AB.
They scored infant lungs using a cumulative 12-zone system. With the below scale:
0 - A lines with <3 B lines per lung segment.
1 - ≥3 B lines per lung segment, but not consolidated.
2 - consolidated B lines, but no subpleural consolidation.
3 - subpleural consolidation with any findings scoring 1 or 2.
They found that infants with higher LUS scores had increased rates of hospitalization and length of stay.
Here are some tips for ultrasounding a pediatric patient:
Attempt to warm the gel
Have the parent/relative hold the patient while scanning
For those old enough, allow the child to investigate the ultrasound probe prior to placing the probe on the child.
Destract the child while performing scanning
References
Smith JA, Stone BS, Shin J, Yen K, Reisch J, Fernandes N, Cooper MC. Association of outcomes in point-of-care lung ultrasound for bronchiolitis in the pediatric emergency department. Am J Emerg Med. 2023 Oct 21;75:22-28. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.10.019. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37897916.
