Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is defined as an infectious pneumonia that is acquired outside or inside the hospital in children without immune damage.
Radiographic findings:
Chest X-ray (CXR) has been the main modality in the investigation of chest infection since it has been invented in the late 19th century.
CXR has certain restrictions such as radiation exposure risks, high inter-observer and intra- observer variations, and little impact on the clinical outcomes. Children in comparison to adults have 3 to 5 times higher morbidity and mortality risk from radiation exposure.
A call for new imaging modality which is “lung ultrasonography":
LUS findings were classified as a normal pattern, defined as normal lung sliding with or without A-lines or having the following according to the following Ultrasonographic signs of pneumonia:
1. Presence of subpleural lung Alveolar consolidations: subpleural echo-poor regions or tissue-like region, with blurred margins irregular borders “shred sign" in nontranslobar consolidation, or lung hepatization in translobar consolidation.
2. Air bronchogram: branching hyperechoic structures in the consolidation. Lentiform or punctiform air bronchogram were not counted as separate signs and were considered as part of the consolidation.
3. Presence of B-lines.
4. Pleural line abnormalities, defined as irregularities in the pleural line.
5. Pleural effusion defined as anechoic or hypoechoic fluid with or without floating debris.