Association Between Lung Ultrasound Score and PaO2/FiO2 Ratio in Neonatal Pneumonia: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objectives: Lung ultrasonography (LUS) is increasingly used to assess pulmonary diseases due to its safety and convenience. This study aimed to find out the association between the LUS score and the PaO2/FiO(2) ratio in neonatal pneumonia. Methods: This study prospectively enrolled 57 neonates with suspected pneumonia. LUS score (range 0-48) was evaluated by assessing 12 lung regions. The PaO2/FiO(2) ratio was calculated by dividing the arterial oxygen partial pressure by the fraction of inspired oxygen from blood gas analysis. Correlations were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: Birth weight ranged 1 100-4 500 g (median 2 925 g), gestational age 27-41 weeks (median 37 weeks), and age 1-28 days (median 1 day). The LUS score was significantly correlated with the PaO2/FiO(2) ratio (r = 0.758, p < 0.001), arterial oxygen partial pressure (r = 0.731, p < 0.001), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (r = 0.213, p < 0.001), and oxygen saturation (r = 0.196, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates significant correlations between the LUS score and blood gas analysis indices in neonatal pneumonia.