DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjams.2025.v13i09.010

Pages: 1685-1690

Background: Despite growing global interest in lung ultrasound for pediatric respiratory diseases, its diagnostic performance in children with lower respiratory tract infections remains underexplored. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of chest ultrasound as a diagnostic alternative to chest X-ray in children with lower respiratory tract infections. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of chest ultrasound as a diagnostic alternative to chest X-ray in children with lower respiratory tract infections. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Radiology and Imaging at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute, Dhaka, from December 2021 to November 2024. Three hundred children (150 cases, 150 controls) underwent clinical assessment, laboratory tests, and imaging. Chest X-ray and ultrasonography were performed within 24 hours by blinded radiologists. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated against clinical diagnosis using SPSS version 28. Results: Among 300 children, infected cases showed higher temperature (38.4 °C), CRP (14.2 mg/L), respiratory rate (42.8/min), and WBC count (12.05 × 10⁹/L vs. 7.62 × 10⁹/L in controls). Common symptoms included cough (100%), nasal discharge (92%), and fever (90%). Chest ultrasound showed higher diagnostic accuracy for pneumonia (sensitivity 96.2%, specificity 97%) and bronchiolitis (94.1%, 95.3%) than X-ray (91.4%, 92% and 88%, 89.5%, respectively), supporting its use as a superior diagnostic tool. Conclusion: Chest ultrasound proved to be a reliable, accurate, and radiation-free alternative to chest X-ray in diagnosing pediatric lower respiratory tract infections.