A Study of lung Ultrasonography in Infants with Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infection as a Quick and Safe Alternative Tool in a Group of Egyptian Infants

Abstract

cute lower respiratory infections (ALRI), such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children under five years of age. According to recent estimates, every year about 120–156 million cases of ALRI occur globally with approximately 1.4 million resulting in death. More than 95% of these deaths occur in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Bronchiolitis is the commonest lower respiratory infection in infants. Over 60% of infants have been infected on the first year of life, and by 2 years old over 80%. Pneumonia remains the leading infectious cause of death among children under five, killing 2,500 children a day. Early intervention and prompt treatment of acute respiratory infection and pneumonia are the easiest way to prevent death. Despite a long-held belief that physical examination findings and proper auscultation are sufficient to rule in or out the presence of acute lower respiratory tract infection, multiple pressures in clinical practice have driven increased use of chest radiography and occasionally CT. During the last 10 years, ultrasound has been shown to be highly effective in evaluating a range of pathologic pulmonary c