ABSTRACT
Lung ultrasound has the potential to enable standardized follow-up without radiation exposure and with lower associated costs in comparison to CT scans. It is a valuable tool to follow up on patients after a COVID-19 infection and evaluate if there is pulmonary fibrosis developing. Echocardiography, including strain imaging, is a proven tool to assess various causes of dyspnea and adds valuable information in the context of long COVID care. Including two-dimensional (2D) strain imaging, a better comprehension of myocardial damage in post-COVID syndrome can be made. Especially 2D strain imaging (left and the right ventricular strain) can provide information about prognosis.
ABSTRACT
Hundreds of millions got infected, and millions have died worldwide and still the number of cases is rising.Chest radiographs and computed tomography (CT) are useful for imaging the lung but their use in infectious diseases is limited due to hygiene and availability.Lung ultrasound has been shown to be useful in the context of the pandemic, providing clinicians with valuable insights and helping identify complications such as pleural effusion in heart failure or bacterial superinfections. Moreover, lung ultrasound is useful for identifying possible complications of procedures, in particular, pneumothorax.Associations between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and cardiac complications, such as acute myocardial infarction and myocarditis, have been reported. As such, point of care echocardiography as well as a comprehensive approach in later stages of the disease provide important information for optimally diagnosing and treating complications of COVID-19.In our experience, lung ultrasound in combination with echocardiography, has a great impact on treatment decisions. In the acute state as well as in the follow-up setting after a severe or critical state of COVID-19, ultrasound can be of great impact to monitor the progression and regression of disease.