Comprehensive Quantitative Assessment of Lung Liquid Clearance by Lung Ultrasound Score in Neonates with No Lung Disease during the First 24 Hours

Abstract

Objectives. To comprehensively and quantitatively assess the process of lung liquid clearance using the lung ultrasound score. This study is to evaluate the whole healthy lungs of neonates during the first 24 h. Methods. Lung ultrasound was performed in neonates with no respiratory symptoms within 3 h after birth, and scans were then repeated at 6 hours and 24 hours, respectively. The entire chest wall was divided into 12 regions. The lung ultrasound scores of the anterior, posterior, upper, and lower regions and sum of all regions were calculated according to the ultrasound pattern of each region examined. Results. The total lung ultrasound score decreased gradually during the first 24 h, with the total lung ultrasound score at 6 h being significantly lower than that at <3 h (P<0.05). At <3 h, B-lines were more abundant in the posterior chest than in the anterior chest (P<0.001), and more B-lines were observed in the lower chest than in the upper chest (P<0.001). At 6 h and 24 h, there were no significant differences among the regions. Conclusion. Changes in the lung ultrasound score may quantitatively reflect the characteristics of different regions and processes of lung liquid clearance during the first 24 h.