Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome: Chest X-ray or lung ultrasound? A systematic review:

Background and aimNeonatal respiratory distress syndrome is a leading cause of morbidity in preterm new-born babies (<37 weeks gestation age). The current diagnostic reference standard includes clinical testing and chest radiography with associated exposure to ionising radiation. The aim of this review was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound against the reference standard in symptomatic neonates of ≤42 weeks gestation age.MethodsA systematic search of literature published between 1990 and 2016 identified 803 potentially relevant studies. Six studies met the review inclusion criteria and were retrieved for analysis. Quality assessment was performed before data extraction and meta-analysis.ResultsFour prospective cohort studies and two case control studies included 480 neonates. All studies were of moderate methodological quality although heterogeneity was evident across the studies. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of lung ultrasound were 97% (95% confidence interval [CI] 94–99%) an...