Chest ultrasound is a viable alternative to chest CT in evaluating pediatric patients with pneumonia and parapneumonic effusion, according to a study published in t the American Journal of Roentgenology. Researchers concluded that chest CT didn't provide "any additional clinically useful information" that was not also seen on ultrasound. Considering that chest ultrasound has has an advantage in portability, does not require patient sedation, and has superior ability to detect fibrin strands within an effusion, the authors suggested that evaluation of children with complicated pneumonia include chest ultrasound as well as chest radiography.
