Lung Ultrasonography as an Accurate Diagnostic Method for the Diagnosis of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in the Elderly Population

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the most common causes of both hospitalization and death in elderly patients. The chest x-ray (CXR) is nowadays still the imaging method of choice for patients suspected of having pneumonia. However, the sensitivity of CXR, particularly bedside chest radiography, is relatively low. Chest computed tomography, the procedure of higher precision, cannot be conducted routinely for safety, organizational, and economic reasons. Thus, lung ultrasonography (LUS) could be the most accurate diagnostic tool for CAP in the geriatric population.
Source: Ultrasound Quarterly - Category: Radiology Tags: Original Research Source Type: research