@article {Trias-Sabri{\`a}1263, author = {Pere Trias-Sabri{\`a} and Maria Molina-Molina and Samantha Aso and Marta Hern{\'a}ndez Argudo and Marta Diez-Ferrer and Joan Sabater and Jordi Dorca and Salud Santos and Guillermo Suarez-Cuartin}, title = {Lung Ultrasound Score to Predict Outcomes in COVID-19}, volume = {66}, number = {8}, pages = {1263--1270}, year = {2021}, doi = {10.4187/respcare.08648}, publisher = {Respiratory Care}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can develop severe bilateral pneumonia leading to respiratory failure. We aimed to study the potential role of lung ultrasound score (LUS) in subjects with COVID-19.METHODS: We conducted an observational, prospective pilot study, including consecutive subjects admitted to an intermediate care unit due to COVID-19 pneumonia. LUS is a 12-zone examination method for lung parenchyma assessment. LUS was performed with a portable convex transducer, scores from 0 to 36 points. Clinical and demographic data were collected at LUS evaluation. Survival analysis was performed using a composite outcome including ICU admission or death. Subjects were followed for 30 d from LUS assessment.RESULTS: Of 36 subjects included, 69.4\% were male, and mean age was 60.19 {\textpm} 12.75 y. A cutoff LUS >= 24 points showed 100\% sensitivity, 69.2\% specificity, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.85 for predicting worse prognosis. The composite outcome was present in 10 subjects (55.6\%) with LUS >= 24 points, but not in the group with lower LUS scores (P \< .001). Subjects with LUS >= 24 points had a higher risk of ICU admission or death (hazard ratio 9.97 [95\% CI 2.75{\textendash}36.14], P \< .001). Significant correlations were observed between LUS and , serum D-dimer, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and lymphocyte count.CONCLUSIONS: LUS >= 24 points can help identify patients with COVID-19 who are likely to require ICU admission or to die during follow-up. LUS also correlates significantly with clinical and laboratory markers of COVID-19 severity.}, issn = {0020-1324}, URL = {https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/66/8/1263}, eprint = {https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/66/8/1263.full.pdf}, journal = {Respiratory Care} }