Accuracy of Handheld Lung Ultrasound in Internal Medicine

Lung ultrasound (LUS) has become an increasingly valuable tool in Internal Medicine for documenting pleural and lung conditions, especially in cases of heart failure or pneumonia. This study aimed to compare the accuracy of a handheld ultrasound device (HHUSD) with that of a high-end ultrasound device (HEUSD). A total of 72 patients, aged 18 or older and admitted to the Internal Medicine Unit for heart failure or pneumonia, underwent LUS and, when indicated, evaluation of the inferior vena cava (ICV) using both HHUSD and HEUSD. Two experienced operators independently performed the evaluations, assessing B-lines, pleural effusion, lung consolidations, and ICV ectasia with respiratory excursions. The results showed a high degree of concordance between the two devices, with a mean concordance of 79.3% for B-lines, 88.6% for pleural effusion, 82.3% for consolidations, and 88.7% and 84.9% for ICV ectasia and its respiratory excursions, respectively. Interestingly, BMI did not significantly affect the concordance between the two methods. Additionally, the average examination time was shorter with HHUSD, taking 8 minutes compared to 10 minutes with HEUSD. Overall, HHUSD demonstrated high accuracy in detecting key lung and pleural conditions and provided faster patient assessment due to its portability and ease of use. Furthermore, the smaller size of HHUSD offers practical advantages, including cost and time savings, making it an efficient alternative to traditional high-end ultrasound devices in clinical settings. This study highlights the clinical utility of HHUSD in Internal Medicine, showing its potential to streamline diagnostics without compromising accuracy.