ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the impact of lung ultrasound on the frequency of radiological examinations (chest X‐ray and CT), radiation exposure, duration of illness, and hospitalization costs in pediatric pneumonia. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on pediatric pneumonia cases from two branches of Ordos Central Hospital—Dongsheng ( n = 407, all underwent lung ultrasound) and Kangbashi ( n = 155, none underwent lung ultrasound)—between January 2022 and June 2024. Results No significant differences in duration of illness or costs for mild cases ( p > 0.05). For severe cases, DongSheng Hospital had a shorter median duration of illness (12 vs. 14 days, p = 0.021) and lower median costs (3485 vs. 4378 RMB, p = 0.003). The median number of chest X‐rays (1 vs. 2) and CT scans (0 vs. 1) was lower at DongSheng compared to Kangbashi ( p < 0.001). Age‐stratified analysis revealed significantly lower dose‐area product (DAP) from X‐rays in mild cases ( p < 0.001), with significantly lower dose–length product (DLP) from CT also observed in children aged ≥ 5 years ( p < 0.05). In severe cases, significantly lower DAP was found ( p < 0.05), while no significant differences were observed for DLP. Conclusion Lung ultrasound reduces the frequency of radiological examinations, radiation exposure, shortens duration of illness in severe cases, and lowers hospitalization costs.
Guo et al. (Thu,) studied this question.