Diagnostic of Lower Respiratory Tract Infection by Lung Ultrasonography in General Practice

Overview

Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI) is a frequent motive of consultation in General Practice. Cost, irradiation and availability of traditional imagery make it difficult to perform in every patient with suspected LRTI. The objective is to evaluate the performance of LUS realized by family physicians into the usual LRTI diagnostic pathway. This study is a prospective, interventional, multi-centric and open study conducted in 3 different centers by 15 General Practitioners (GP) in France. Patient complaining of dyspnea or cough were recruited from December 2019 to March 2020. GP received a training course by LUS expert before the study. The primary outcome measure was diagnosis modification after LUS. Secondary measures were therapeutic modification after LUS, decision of imagery prescription after LUS, decision of hospitalization or not after LUS, medical evolution and result of imagery initially prescribed by GP.

After an initial medical report, GP's concluded to an initial diagnosis and make initial prescription and finally decided or not to perform a standardized eight-points LUS. GP were free to perform or not LUS. If GP decided to perform LUS, GP were allowed to change their diagnosis and prescriptions (LUS group). However, therapeutic changes after LUS could not "downgrade" patient care.

Conditions