The utility of chest x-ray and lung ultrasound in the management of infants and children presenting with severe pneumonia in low-and middle-income countries: A pragmatic scoping review

Abstract

Background Chest x-ray (CXR) is commonly used (when available) to support clinical management decisions for child pneumonia and provide a reference standard for diagnosis in research studies. However, its diagnostic and technical limitations for both purposes are well recognised. Recent evidence suggests that lung ultrasound (LUS) may have diagnostic utility in pneumonia. This systematic scoping review of research on the utility of CXR and LUS in the management of severe childhood pneumonia aims to inform pragmatic guidelines for low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and identify gaps in knowledge. Methods We included peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2020 in infants and chi..