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Implementation of Lung Ultrasound in Low-to-Middle Income Countries: a new challenge global health?
  • Danilo Buonsenso,
  • Cristina De Rose
Danilo Buonsenso
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A.Gemelli

Corresponding Author:danilobuonsenso@gmail.com

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Cristina De Rose
Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Sede di Roma
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Abstract

Pneumonia remains the leading cause of death globally in children under the age of five. The poorest children are the ones most at risk of dying. In the recent years, Lung Ultrasound has been widely documented as a safe and easy tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of pneumonia and several other respiratory infections and diseases. During the pandemic, it played a primary role to achieve early suspicion and prediction of severe COVID-19, reducing the risk of exposure of healthcare workers to positive patients. However, innovations that can improve diagnosis and treatment allocation, saving hundreds of thousands of lives each year, are not reaching those who need them most. In this paper, we discuss advantages and limits of different tools for the diagnosis of pneumonia in low-to-middle income countries, highlighting potential benefits of a wider access to lung ultrasound in these settings and barriers to its implementation, calling international organizations to ensure the indiscriminate access, quality and sustainability of the provision of ultrasound services in every setting.
Jan 2022Published in European Journal of Pediatrics volume 181 issue 1 on pages 1-8. 10.1007/s00431-021-04179-9