Early Lung Ultrasound Scores in Neonates With Respiratory Distress - A Cross-Sectional Study From South India

To estimate the lung ultrasound (LUS₀) scores within 6 hours of birth in neonates with respiratory distress (RD) and assess its ability to predict the severity of RD.

This single-center cross-sectional study included all neonates admitted with RD during the study period for whom a LUS was performed within 6h of birth. LUS₀ scoring was done by dividing the lung fields into 3 fields on either side and a score from 0 to 3 per field (maximum score 18). We excluded neonates with congenital heart disease, congenital anomalies of chest/lung, chromosomal anomalies and if the operator for LUS₀ was not available. ROC curves were constructed for estimating the cut-off LUS₀ score for the severity of RD in terms of the following six outcomes: fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂) requirement >50% during first 3 days of life, need for invasive ventilation on day 3 of life, Silverman-Anderson score >7, surfactant requirement, radiological grades of RDS, and death.

The median (IQR) LUS₀ scores were significantly higher in neonates with greater severity of RD in terms of FiO₂ requirement >50% during first 3 days of life [12.0, (5.0, 14.0)], need for invasive ventilation on day 3 of life [12.0 (7.5, 12.5)], Silverman-Anderson score ≥ 7 in preterm [9.5, (6.0, 12.0)], surfactant requirement [11.5, (4.0, 12.5)], radiological grades of RDS [10.0, (4.0, 12.0)], and death [12.0, (7.0, 15.0)]. In logistic regression analysis, with continuous LUS₀ scores as covariates, the odds ratio significantly increased for every unit increase in LUS₀ score.

Early LUS₀ scores can predict the prognosis and severity of neonatal RD.