Lung ultrasound is useful in oncohematologic patients with respiratory dysfunction admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU): a pilot study

This pilot study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of a sequential lung ultrasound score (LUS) in immunosuppressed patients with oncohematologic diseases and acute respiratory dysfunction hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU). LUS was calculated at ICU admission, after 24 h, 48 h and at discharge. A score ranging from 0 to 26 was attributed according to the number of B lines, presence of lung consolidation and pleural effusion. Twenty-six patients were included. The median age was 50 years [interquartile range (IQR) 21] and 14 (54%) were male. LUS on the day of ICU admission was significantly higher in non-survivors compared to survivors (13 [5] vs 9 [9], respectively; p=0.047). The median delta LUS (LUS_D2 - LUS_D1) did not show difference between survivors and non-survivors (2 [0-7.5] vs 1 [-1.5 - 5], p=0.33). Among patients initially submitted to noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV), no difference in LUS at inclusion or after 24 h was found between those who succeeded or failed on this support. The use of LUS to quantify lung aeration loss in oncohematologic patients hospitalized in an ICU due to acute respiratory dysfunction might be a helpful tool to predict the severity of the illness.