tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
BMC Pulm Med
. 2025 Nov 19;25(1):537.
doi: 10.1186/s12890-025-04016-x. Lung ultrasound alterations six months after COVID-19 pneumonia: a descriptive study
Francisco Navarro-Romero[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Cristina Asencio-Méndez[SUP] 3 [/SUP], María Dolores Martín-Escalante[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Francisco Martos-Pérez[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Julián Olalla-Sierra[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and characteristics of lung ultrasound abnormalities six months after hospital discharge for COVID-19 pneumonia.
Methods: This prospective observational study included patients hospitalised with COVID-19 pneumonia between March 2020 and May 2022. Participants attended a follow-up visit between one and six months after discharge. A standardised 14-zone ultrasound protocol was applied in all cases. Clinical variables and symptoms, including dyspnoea graded using the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale, were recorded.
Results: The median time from discharge to follow-up assessment was 75 days. Lung involvement on ultrasound was frequent, observed in 79.3%. The most common findings were pleural line irregularities with B-lines (75.9%) and subpleural consolidations (35.6%). A B-line count ≥ 3 per segment was noted in 38.3%. Abnormalities were more common in the basal lung regions. Dyspnoea was the main respiratory symptom, reported by 67% with varying degrees on the mMRC scale.
Conclusions: COVID-19 pneumonia remains a significant public health concern, particularly among high-risk groups susceptible to severe disease and post-COVID sequelae. Efficient screening methods are needed for evaluating potential sequelae. The technical features of lung ultrasound-its accessibility, safety, reproducibility, and ability to detect pulmonary abnormalities during post-COVID follow-up-may render it a valuable tool for patient monitoring. In our series, lung ultrasound findings (pleural line irregularities, B-lines, and subpleural consolidations) were frequent. However, further studies correlating sonographic findings with associated factors and persistent symptoms are required to confirm and validate its role in this setting.
Keywords: COVID-19; Lung ultrasonography; Outcomes; Post-COVID pulmonary findings; SARS-CoV-2; Sequelae.
. 2025 Nov 19;25(1):537.
doi: 10.1186/s12890-025-04016-x. Lung ultrasound alterations six months after COVID-19 pneumonia: a descriptive study
Francisco Navarro-Romero[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Cristina Asencio-Méndez[SUP] 3 [/SUP], María Dolores Martín-Escalante[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Francisco Martos-Pérez[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Julián Olalla-Sierra[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 41257840
- PMCID: PMC12628994
- DOI: 10.1186/s12890-025-04016-x
Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and characteristics of lung ultrasound abnormalities six months after hospital discharge for COVID-19 pneumonia.
Methods: This prospective observational study included patients hospitalised with COVID-19 pneumonia between March 2020 and May 2022. Participants attended a follow-up visit between one and six months after discharge. A standardised 14-zone ultrasound protocol was applied in all cases. Clinical variables and symptoms, including dyspnoea graded using the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale, were recorded.
Results: The median time from discharge to follow-up assessment was 75 days. Lung involvement on ultrasound was frequent, observed in 79.3%. The most common findings were pleural line irregularities with B-lines (75.9%) and subpleural consolidations (35.6%). A B-line count ≥ 3 per segment was noted in 38.3%. Abnormalities were more common in the basal lung regions. Dyspnoea was the main respiratory symptom, reported by 67% with varying degrees on the mMRC scale.
Conclusions: COVID-19 pneumonia remains a significant public health concern, particularly among high-risk groups susceptible to severe disease and post-COVID sequelae. Efficient screening methods are needed for evaluating potential sequelae. The technical features of lung ultrasound-its accessibility, safety, reproducibility, and ability to detect pulmonary abnormalities during post-COVID follow-up-may render it a valuable tool for patient monitoring. In our series, lung ultrasound findings (pleural line irregularities, B-lines, and subpleural consolidations) were frequent. However, further studies correlating sonographic findings with associated factors and persistent symptoms are required to confirm and validate its role in this setting.
Keywords: COVID-19; Lung ultrasonography; Outcomes; Post-COVID pulmonary findings; SARS-CoV-2; Sequelae.