Lung Ultrasound Can Influence the Clinical Treatment of Pregnant Women With COVID‐19

Abstract

Lung ultrasound (LUS) is an effective tool to detect and monitor patients infected with 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The use of LUS on pregnant women is an emerging trend, considering its effectiveness during the outbreak. Eight pregnant women with a diagnosis of COVID-19 confirmed by nasal/throat real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing who underwent point-of-care LUS examinations after routine obstetric ultrasound are described. A routinely performed LUS examination revealed serious lung involvement in 7 cases: 2 were initially asymptomatic; 3 have chest computed tomography; 1 had initial negative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction results; and 1 had initial negative computed tomographic findings. Treatment for COVID-19 was either commenced or changed in 87.5% of the patients (n = 7 of 8) on LUS findings. Among patients with abnormal LUS findings, treatment was commenced in 5 patients (71.5%) and changed in 2 patients (28.5%). One normal and 7 abnormal LUS cases indicate the impact of routine LUS on the clinical outcome and treatment of pregnant women.

Outcomes of universal SARS-CoV-2 testing program in pregnant women admitted to hospital and the adjuvant role of lung ultrasound in screening: a prospective cohort study

“…Performing lung ultrasound by the obstetricians was proposed to be effective, safe and a practical way to manage and monitor pregnant women with COVID-19 [13,21,22]. It is also beneficial in the triage of the patient and assessing the severity of the disease [23].…”

<p>Clinico-Radiological Features and Outcomes in Pregnant Women with COVID-19 Pneumonia Compared with Age-Matched Non-Pregnant Women</p>

“…Recently, lung ultrasound, a radiation-free tool, was found to be useful in screening and diagnosing COVID-19 in pregnant women, especially for the asymptomatic patients on presentation accounting for approximately onethird of all pregnant women in the United States. [29][30][31] Effective screening of COVID-19 in asymptomatic pregnant women could avoid the delayed diagnosis and management. However, lung ultrasound plays a limited role in detecting lesions located in the central or inner zone areas.…”

Lung ultrasonography in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interobserver agreement study among obstetricians

“…All sonographer and raters participating in the study underwent a single-day didactic course held by a radiologist with over 6 years of experience and by the first author, who is experienced in performing LUS in pregnant women [18]. The structured course included a detailed presentation on how to perform and interpret LUS in pregnant women, and a brief hands-on practical course on 10 normal patients and five COVID-19 patients.…”

“…The course was completed after observing alignment in didactic reference cases between the course attendees and the expert physician. Those reference cases were collected from the literature and from our previous case series [18].…”

“…It has recently been proposed that LUS should be performed by obstetricians during the COVID-19 pandemic given the exceptional circumstances and obstetricians' inherent familiarity with ultrasonography [12]. Our recent experience with a large case series established that the routine use of LUS after an obstetric ultrasound assessment can influence the clinical management of pregnant women with COVID-19 [18].…”