key: cord-0845465-g0y7uoy7
authors: Pascarella, Giuseppe; Strumia, Alessandro; Stone, Michael Benjamin; Piliego, Chiara
title: The evolution of ultrasound role in COVID-19 pandemic: from triage to screening
date: 2020-07-21
journal: Anesth Analg
DOI: 10.1213/ane.0000000000005143
sha: 165b5709a85c3e66bbfbb7f92bfe9cd8109bc8a2
doc_id: 845465
cord_uid: g0y7uoy7

nan

We thank Anile and colleagues for their letter which expanded our concept of ultrasound (US)-guided triage for early detection of COVID-19 lung pneumonia (1) . Moreover, we really appreciated the concept of a COVID alphabet as a multimodal approach to guide diagnosis and treatment in critical patients admitted in ICUs (2) . Since its outbreak, COVID-19 pandemic created a never seen before connection between physicians from everywhere in the world, which resulted in sharing crucial information and data about early clinical experiences. Although many therapies have been suggested, at present there are still no specific options capable of treating successfully SARS-CoV-2 disease; by now, the only viable intervention which has proven to decrease the contagion rate seems to be preventive measures between general population, including quarantine, social distancing and personal hygiene (3) US follow-up could be performed by clinicians with different skills sets, including general practitioners in outpatient medical settings, i.e. clinics, medical offices, or even at patient's home.

Currently the use of US has spread throughout medical disciplines, encouraged by the commercialization of portable probes, which have been proven effective in both diagnostic and interventional settings (6) , and could be useful in environments beyond the ICU or the emergency department. Furthermore, a pre-hospital US assessment may contribute to early diagnosis in the A C C E P T E D 

The ultrasound guided triage: a new tool for prehospital management of COVID-19 pandemic

COVID: the new ultrasound alphabet in SARS-CoV-2 era

COVID-19 diagnosis and management: a comprehensive review

Ultrasound in COVID-19: a timeline of ultrasound findings in relation to CT

Practical Considerations for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease During the COVID-19 Pandemic

U smart: ultrasound in your pocket