The Impact of Respiratory Therapist Performed Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound on the Respiratory Care in Neonates, Manitoba Experience, Canada

Abstract

Objective We aimed to evaluate the impact of the registered respiratory therapist (RRT) performed point-of-care lung ultrasound (POC-LUS) on patient management in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study of neonates who had RRT performed POC-LUS in two level III NICUs in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The analysis aims mainly to describe the implementation process of the POC-LUS program. The primary outcome was the prediction of the change in clinical management.

Results A total of 136 neonates underwent 171 POC-LUS studies during the study period. POC-LUS resulted in a change in clinical management following 113 POC-LUS studies (66%), while it supported continuing the same management in 58 studies (34%). The lung ultrasound severity score (LUSsc) was significantly higher in the group with worsening hypoxemic respiratory failure and on respiratory support than infants on respiratory support and stable or not on respiratory support, p < 0.0001. LUSsc was significantly higher in infants on either noninvasive or invasive than those not on respiratory support, p-value <0.0001.

Conclusion RRT performed POC-LUS service utilization in Manitoba improved and guided the clinical management of a significant proportion of patients who received the service.

Keywords

lung ultrasound - NICU - respiratory therapist - respiratory

Authors' Contributions

All authors made a substantial contribution to the manuscript and design of the work: S.G. and J.S. collected data, Y.E. analyzed the data, and wrote the first draft, all authors are POC-LUS instructors and participated in the practice guidelines, and all authors edited and wrote part of the manuscript.

Ethical Statement

This study was approved by the ethical committee at the University of Manitoba for data collection and publication (identifier: HS21962[H2018:270]).

Availability of Data

All data and original materials are available for transparency.

Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 08. Oktober 2022

Angenommen: 24. Februar 2023

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
18. April 2023

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