Reliability of B-line quantification by different-level observers and a software algorithm using point-of-care lung ultrasound

Inter-observer reliability for different point-of-care lung ultrasound findings in mechanically ventilated critically ill COVID-19 patients

“…As expected, good inter-observer comparability was found in the assessment of the B pattern and the presence of pleural effusion, as these LUS signs are likely to be the easiest to detect. Inter-observer reproducibility in quantifying the B line was acceptable and approximately equal to the one previously published in a similarly designed study [ 4 ]. Finally, a mutual agreement on the overall estimated likelihood of COVID-19 disease according to the LUS findings was correlated poorly between the observers.…”

“…However, use of LUS may be fraught with certain shortcomings, such as the considerable dependence on the observer’s knowledge and skills, and dependence on the performance and settings of the ultrasound transducer. This operator-dependency is especially emphasized in the real-time point-of-care (POC) LUS examination in the ICU and, therefore, the comparability of LUS findings of different observers may be arguable in certain settings [ 3 , 4 ].…”

Lung, Heart, Vascular, and Diaphragm Ultrasound Examination of COVID-19 Patients: A Comprehensive Approach

“…In this scenario, emerging ultrasound methods based on computeraided diagnosis are now available [26][27][28] and provide a further and potentially promising option in terms of faster data analysis and applicability to large sets of data, especially for novice sonographers with little or no previous LU experience. 29,30 From the pathophysiologic standpoint, severe COVID-19 is a disease with biphasic evolution, and 2 main phenotypes have been recognized, "type 1" and "type 2," reflecting different parenchymal alterations. 31 LU can help differentiate between the 2 types by demonstrating the degree of heterogeneity of aeration loss.…”

Feasibility of machine integrated point of care lung ultrasound automatic B-lines tool in the Corona-virus 2019 critical care unit

“…The small number of patients included in this feasibility trial should be acknowledged as a limitation; thus, further research to validate the results of this study is warranted. Previously, a non-integrated automatic B-lines detection application has shown good overall reliability while also stressing the difference in assessment reliability dependent on the operator experience [ 5 ]. The current study's results may help better interpret POC-LUS assessments performed by less-experienced operators and reduce inter-operator variability.…”