Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound (US) for consolidation: evidence from systematic reviews
| Number of studies | Population, unit of analysis | US features, comparator | Reference standard | Prevalence and number | Sensitivity | Specificity | |
| Consolidation | |||||||
| Hew 2015 [32] | 4 studies No meta-analysis | Hospitalised adults with acute respiratory failure, By patient, lung or lung region | Consolidation CXR | CT only | Unable to summarise prevalence from heterogeneous units of analysis 224 patients | US: 98–100% CXR: 38–68% | US: 78–100% CXR: 89–95% |
| Pneumonia | |||||||
| Hu 2014 [65] | 9 studies | Included adults, children, neonates By patient | Unstated | CXR/CT, or CXR only, or clinical diagnoses | 62.5% of 1080 patients | US: 97% | US: 94% |
| Chavez 2014 [66] | 10 studies | Adults with clinical suspicion of pneumonia, or acute respiratory failure By patient, lung, or lung region# | Consolidation or “alveolar and interstitial” | CT only, or CXR or CT, or clinical diagnosis/CT/CXR | Calculated at 50% of 1098 patients in studies analysed by patient | US: 94% | US: 96% |
| Ye 2015 [67] | 5 studies | Clinically suspected pneumonia in adults By patient | Uni/bilateral or focal alveolar–interstitial syndrome, or consolidation with air bronchograms | Hospital discharge diagnosis | 67.3% of 742 patients | US: 95% CXR: 77% | US: 90% CXR: 91% |
| Pulmonary embolism | |||||||
| Squizzato 2013 [68] | 10 studies | Clinical suspicion of PE By patient | 5 studies: round or wedge-shaped lesions 5 studies: not reported | 6 studies: composite 4 studies: CTPA or V′/Q′ or MRA | 61% of 887 patients | 87% | 81.8% |
| Jiang 2015 [69] | 13 studies | Adults with suspected PE By patient | 7 studies: round or wedge-shaped lesions 6 studies: not reported | 8 studies: composite 5 studies: CTPA or V′/Q′ or MRA | 50.6% | 85% | 83% |
CXR: chest radiography; CT: computed tomography; PE: pulmonary embolus; CTPA: computed tomography pulmonary angiogram; V′/Q′: ventilation–perfusion scan; MRA: magnetic resonance angiogram;. #: Included and pooled studies reporting all three units of analysis.