AUTHOR=Vetrugno Luigi , Sala Alessia , Orso Daniele , Meroi Francesco , Fabbro Sebastiano , Boero Enrico , Valent Francesca , Cammarota Gianmaria , Restaino Stefano , Vizzielli Giuseppe , Girometti Rossano , Merelli Maria , Tascini Carlo , Bove Tiziana , Driul Lorenza ,  The PINK-CO study investigators , Mattuzzi Lisa , Marin Matteo , D'Andrea Natascia , Zanini Victor , Divella Michele , Occhiali Tommaso , Barbui Elisa , Codutti Enrica , Fosca Elisa , Nanino Michela , Scaiella Giuliana , Berchialla Paola 

TITLE=Lung Ultrasound Signs and Their Correlation With Clinical Symptoms in COVID-19 Pregnant Women: The “PINK-CO” Observational Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.768261

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2021.768261

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Objective: Analyze the application of lung ultrasound (LUS) diagnostic approach in obstetric patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and compare LUS score and patients’ symptoms.
Design: a single-center observational retrospective study from 31 October 2020 to 31 March 2021.
Setting: Department of Ob/Gyn at the University-Hospital of Udine, Italy.
Participants: pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 diagnosed with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) swab test, subdivided as symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.
Exposure: LUS evaluation both through initial evaluation upon admission and through serial evaluations.
Main outcome: reporting LUS findings and LUS score characteristics.
Results: Symptomatic COVID-19 patients showed a higher LUS (median 3.5 vs. 0, p-value <0.001). LUS was significantly correlated with COVID-19 biomarkers as CPR (p=0.011), interleukin-6 (p=0.013) and pro-adrenomedullin (p-value=0.02), and inversely related to arterial oxygen saturation (p-value=0.004). The most frequent ultrasound findings were focal B lines (14 vs. 2) and the light beam (9 vs. 0).
Conclusion: Lung ultrasound can help manage pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection during a pandemic surge.