Abstract
Background and purpose
Lung ultrasound (LUS) for physiotherapists is an emerging bedside tool. The LUS score
of aeration presents as a possible means of assessing and monitoring lung aeration
associated with respiratory physiotherapy treatments. There are no studies to date
that have assessed the interrater reliability (IRR) of physiotherapists assigning
the LUS score of aeration. This study assessed the IRR of assigning the LUS score
among adult, mechanically ventilated patients in an intensive care unit with a clinical
suspicion of acute lobar atelectasis.
Methods
A convenience sample of patients had an LUS performed by a physiotherapist, and images
were independently reviewed by two physiotherapists. Each lung zone was assigned an
LUS score between 0 and 3 (with 0 being normal aeration and 3 being complete consolidation,
presence of effusion, or pneumothorax). IRR was assessed using the kappa statistic.
Results
A total of 1032 LUS images were obtained. Assigning of the LUS across all lung zones demonstrated
substantial agreement with kappa 0.685 (95% confidence interval: 0.650, 0.720). Right
(0.702 [0.653, 0.751]) and left (0.670 [0.619, 0.721]) lung zones also demonstrated
substantial agreement.
Conclusion
We found substantial IRR between physiotherapists in assigning the LUS score in a
mechanically ventilated adult population in the intensive care unit.
Australian New Zealand clinical trials registration number
ACTRN12619000783123
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 17, 2022
Accepted:
October 13,
2022
Received in revised form:
October 12,
2022
Received:
July 2,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
