Lung Ultrasound in Children: Principles, Techniques, and Clinical Applications.
- 1Institute of Pediatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy.
- 2Institute of Pediatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy.
- 3Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy.
Abstract
Lung ultrasound (LUS) has become established as a pivotal, non-ionizing imaging modality within pediatric medicine, facilitating expedited, point-of-care evaluation of diverse respiratory pathologies while eliminating patient exposure to harmful radiation. This narrative review summarizes contemporary clinical evidence regarding LUS and discusses its current utilization within pediatric medicine, focusing on fundamental physics, acoustic artifacts, standardized scanning protocols, and primary clinical indications. LUS effectively detects and characterizes pleural effusion, pulmonary consolidation, interstitial syndromes, and pneumothorax, demonstrating diagnostic performance comparable to chest radiography across numerous clinical settings while offering highly advantageous utility within diverse point-of-care clinical environments. Educational research indicates that proficiency in LUS is attainable relatively rapidly, though mastery necessitates a defined learning curve and standardized training. Consequently, LUS serves as a powerful adjunct to physical examinations in pediatrics, enhancing diagnostic precision, guiding interventions, and facilitating sequential monitoring whilst minimizing cumulative radiation. Future pediatric-focused research remains essential to refine standardized protocols, validate quantitative assessment instruments, and integrate novel technologies into clinical practice.
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BibTeX
@article{sarno2026lung,
title = {{Lung Ultrasound in Children: Principles, Techniques, and Clinical Applications.}},
author = {Lorenzo Di Sarno and Anya Caroselli and Valeria Pansini and Lavinia Capossela and Serena Ferretti and Anna Clemente and Anna Maria Musolino and Alberto Villani and Antonio Chiaretti and Antonio Gatto},
journal = {Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/diagnostics16193079},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882234},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Lung Ultrasound in Children: Principles, Techniques, and Clinical Applications.
AU - Lorenzo Di Sarno
AU - Anya Caroselli
AU - Valeria Pansini
AU - Lavinia Capossela
AU - Serena Ferretti
AU - Anna Clemente
AU - Anna Maria Musolino
AU - Alberto Villani
AU - Antonio Chiaretti
AU - Antonio Gatto
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/22
JO - Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/diagnostics16193079
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882234
AB - Lung ultrasound (LUS) has become established as a pivotal, non-ionizing imaging modality within pediatric medicine, facilitating expedited, point-of-care evaluation of diverse respiratory pathologies while eliminating patient exposure to harmful radiation. This narrative review summarizes contemporary clinical evidence regarding LUS and discusses its current utilization within pediatric medicine, focusing on fundamental physics, acoustic artifacts, standardized scanning protocols, and primary clinical indications. LUS effectively detects and characterizes pleural effusion, pulmonary consolidation, interstitial syndromes, and pneumothorax, demonstrating diagnostic performance comparable to chest radiography across numerous clinical settings while offering highly advantageous utility within diverse point-of-care clinical environments. Educational research indicates that proficiency in LUS is attainable relatively rapidly, though mastery necessitates a defined learning curve and standardized training. Consequently, LUS serves as a powerful adjunct to physical examinations in pediatrics, enhancing diagnostic precision, guiding interventions, and facilitating sequential monitoring whilst minimizing cumulative radiation. Future pediatric-focused research remains essential to refine standardized protocols, validate quantitative assessment instruments, and integrate novel technologies into clinical practice.
SN - 2075-4418
ER -