Pleura-ABCDE - a structured expert-based protocol for neonatal lung ultrasound documentation and interpretation
Keywords:
Point-of-care ultrasound, Lung ultrasound, Ultrasound, Pleura-ABCDE, NeonateAbstract
Background: Neonatal lung ultrasound is a rapidly emerging imaging modality with increasing impact, but lacks standardized protocols and curricula, resulting in inconsistent dissemination and quality assurance.
Results: We present a structured protocol for documentation and interpretation of lung ultrasound. For each lung region, the acronym Pleura-ABCDE is used to analyze the pleura (sliding, morphology), A-Lines, B-Lines, Consolidation, Dynamics (lung point, double lung point) and Effusion. The structured documentation and interpretation could provide clues to differentiate respiratory diseases in newborns.
Conclusion: The Pleura-ABCDE protocol provides structured documentation and interpretation support for lung ultrasound in neonates. In contrast to flowchart-based protocols, a pattern-based approach and link to clinical presentation allows an integrative perspective on the use of neonatal lung ultrasound. Therefore, with this expert-based proposal, we aim to improve documentation and thereby support diagnostic quality and reproducibility, as recommended by international ultrasound societies.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Jan Sandig, Erik Küng, Lukas Aichhorn, Bernhard Schwaberger, Mathias Klemme, Natascha Wagner, Christoph Bührer, Fabian Sternal (Author)
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