Evaluation of the Impact of Lung Ultrasound on Mortality and Rehospitalization in Patients Admitted to the Emergency Department With Dyspnea

Dyspnea is a frequent reason for referral to emergency departments, leading to a 30-day mortality rate of up to 10% and a 3-month rehospitalization rate of over 30%.

Multiple etiologies, as well as poor performance of clinical examination and chest radiography, lead to a diagnostic error rate of nearly 30% at the end of emergency department care. These diagnostic errors lead to rehospitalization and an excess mortality rate of more than 50% compared to patients with a correct initial diagnosis, which is explained in particular by the use of inappropriate therapies.

Lung ultrasound is a rapid, non-irradiating, non-invasive, inexpensive, reproducible imaging test that can be used at the bedside. It has a better diagnostic performance than chest radiography, commonly performed in emergency departments.The immediate benefit of lung ultrasound for the most common diagnoses in emergency medicine has already been demonstrated.

From an organizational point of view, a few studies have shown a benefit of lung ultrasound in reducing the time spent in emergency departments and the number of additional examinations necessary for the final diagnosis. However, there is no data in the literature on the longer term impact of its use in the emergency department.

The primary objective is to evaluate the impact of performing lung ultrasound in terms of 3-month mortality and rehospitalization as part of the diagnostic process for patients admitted to the emergency department with dyspnea.