Pre-hospital diagnosis of interstitial lung disease in patients presenting with shortness of breath - case series
Abstract
The author presents a case series of four patients presenting with shortness of breath who have been diagnosed with interstitial lung disease in the pre-hospital setting based on a combination of clinical examination and Point-of-Care chest ultrasound. Further specialized examinations in the hospital confirmed the diagnosis in all of them.
The common primary diagnostic finding was a combination of severe shortness of breath, ultrasound finding of bilateral alveolo-interstitial syndrome with irregular distribution, bilateral weakening of pleural sliding and absence of echocardiographic signs of heart failure. The author discusses the potential contribution of Point-of-Care ultrasonography to making the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease during primary emergency examination of patients with shortness of breath.