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2026, Number 1

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Rev Mex Pediatr 2026; 93 (1)

Lung ultrasound score as a predictor of surfactant need in premature infants

Pérez-González JA, Martínez-Lemus O

Language: Spanish
References: 28
Page: 6-12
PDF size: 848.51 Kb.


ABSTRACT

Introduction: lung ultrasound (LU) is a diagnostic tool for various conditions in intensive care units. Objective: to evaluate the accuracy of the LU score in predicting the need for pulmonary surfactant in preterm infants. Material and methods: a retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Iván Portuondo Hospital in Cuba between 2022 and 2024. Preterm infants with respiratory distress within the first two hours of life were included. LU was performed prior to surfactant administration. A previously validated scoring scale was used. The Youden index was used to calculate the LU score cutoff, estimating sensitivity and specificity. Results: sixty-two patients were included, with a median gestational age of 31.3 weeks and a median birth weight of 1,447.6 grams. 67.7% required pulmonary surfactant treatment. The median LU score was 12.1 points. A cutoff score of 8 predicted the need for surfactant with a sensitivity of 97.6% and a specificity of 80.0%; however, the cutoff score changed to 5 points for infants ‹ 32 weeks (sensitivity 100%, specificity 66.7%). Conclusions: the UP score, when quantitatively assessed, has good predictive capacity for the need for pulmonary surfactant treatment in premature infants with respiratory distress. However, further research is needed to establish the cutoff value according to gestational age.


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