Lung ultrasound in children and adolescents with long-term effects of COVID-19: Initial results
IntroductionChronic health effects following acute COVID-19 are increasingly observed as the pandemic continues and are grouped under long COVID. Although the acute course of the COVID disease is often milder, long COVID also affects children and adolescents. As the symptoms present in Long-COVID of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2023.1112881/full |
| _version_ | 1797860986889175040 |
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| author | Stephanie Gräger Rosalie Pfirschke Michael Lorenz Daniel Vilser Martin Krämer Hans-Joachim Mentzel Katja Glutig |
| author_facet | Stephanie Gräger Rosalie Pfirschke Michael Lorenz Daniel Vilser Martin Krämer Hans-Joachim Mentzel Katja Glutig |
| author_sort | Stephanie Gräger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionChronic health effects following acute COVID-19 are increasingly observed as the pandemic continues and are grouped under long COVID. Although the acute course of the COVID disease is often milder, long COVID also affects children and adolescents. As the symptoms present in Long-COVID often seem to be non-specific and not limited to organ systems, clarification of the causes and the creation of a meaningful, efficient and targeted diagnostic algorithm is urgently needed.MethodsTherefore, in this prospective observational study, we examined 30 children with long COVID using lung ultrasound and compared the results with those of 15 lung-healthy children.ResultsIn our study, no significant difference was found between the two groups in the morphological criteria of lung ultrasound of the pleura or pleural lung structures. There was no significant correlation between the lung ultrasound findings and clinical Data.DiscussionOur findings are congruent with the current, albeit sparse, data. It is possible that the causes of persistent thoracic symptoms in long COVID might be more likely to be present in functional examinations, but not morphologically imageable. Nonspecific symptoms do not appear to be due to changes in the lung parenchyma. In conclusion, lung ultrasound alone and without baseline in acute disease is not suitable as a standard in the follow-up of long COVID patients. Further investigations on the morphological and functional changes in patient with long COVID is needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T21:55:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f318482e91034f33abe8b4b1241e7aed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T21:55:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-f318482e91034f33abe8b4b1241e7aed2023-03-24T06:08:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pediatrics2296-23602023-03-011110.3389/fped.2023.11128811112881Lung ultrasound in children and adolescents with long-term effects of COVID-19: Initial resultsStephanie Gräger0Rosalie Pfirschke1Michael Lorenz2Daniel Vilser3Martin Krämer4Hans-Joachim Mentzel5Katja Glutig6Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, GermanyCystic Fibrosis Center for Children and Adults, University Hospital Jena, Jena, GermanyCystic Fibrosis Center for Children and Adults, University Hospital Jena, Jena, GermanyCardiology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Jena, Jena, GermanyDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, GermanySection Pediatric Radiology, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, GermanySection Pediatric Radiology, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, GermanyIntroductionChronic health effects following acute COVID-19 are increasingly observed as the pandemic continues and are grouped under long COVID. Although the acute course of the COVID disease is often milder, long COVID also affects children and adolescents. As the symptoms present in Long-COVID often seem to be non-specific and not limited to organ systems, clarification of the causes and the creation of a meaningful, efficient and targeted diagnostic algorithm is urgently needed.MethodsTherefore, in this prospective observational study, we examined 30 children with long COVID using lung ultrasound and compared the results with those of 15 lung-healthy children.ResultsIn our study, no significant difference was found between the two groups in the morphological criteria of lung ultrasound of the pleura or pleural lung structures. There was no significant correlation between the lung ultrasound findings and clinical Data.DiscussionOur findings are congruent with the current, albeit sparse, data. It is possible that the causes of persistent thoracic symptoms in long COVID might be more likely to be present in functional examinations, but not morphologically imageable. Nonspecific symptoms do not appear to be due to changes in the lung parenchyma. In conclusion, lung ultrasound alone and without baseline in acute disease is not suitable as a standard in the follow-up of long COVID patients. Further investigations on the morphological and functional changes in patient with long COVID is needed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2023.1112881/fullfollow-upCOVID Syndromepulmonary functiondiagnostic Lung sonographycomplicationscreening |
| spellingShingle | Stephanie Gräger Rosalie Pfirschke Michael Lorenz Daniel Vilser Martin Krämer Hans-Joachim Mentzel Katja Glutig Lung ultrasound in children and adolescents with long-term effects of COVID-19: Initial results Frontiers in Pediatrics follow-up COVID Syndrome pulmonary function diagnostic Lung sonography complication screening |
| title | Lung ultrasound in children and adolescents with long-term effects of COVID-19: Initial results |
| title_full | Lung ultrasound in children and adolescents with long-term effects of COVID-19: Initial results |
| title_fullStr | Lung ultrasound in children and adolescents with long-term effects of COVID-19: Initial results |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lung ultrasound in children and adolescents with long-term effects of COVID-19: Initial results |
| title_short | Lung ultrasound in children and adolescents with long-term effects of COVID-19: Initial results |
| title_sort | lung ultrasound in children and adolescents with long term effects of covid 19 initial results |
| topic | follow-up COVID Syndrome pulmonary function diagnostic Lung sonography complication screening |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2023.1112881/full |
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