Lung ultrasound in neonates under cardiac surgery: feasible and predictive

To determine whether pre- and postoperative follow-up based on lung ultrasound is associated with the respiratory and clinical evolution of patients undergoing cardiac surgery in the neonatal period.Prospective observational unicentric study from December 2020 to October 2023 in a neonatal intensive care unit, a referral center for congenital heart diseases (CHD). Neonates with CHD exposed to heart surgery or percutaneous catheterization in their first 28 days of life were included. LU follow-up was performed before surgery (LUSpre) and on days 1 (LUS_1), 3 (LUS_3), and 7 (LUS_7) afterwards by mean of a dedicated score (LUS) ranging from 0 to 3 points in 8 areas (total score 0-24).Fifty-five neonates were included. Median gestational age was 39.1 weeks (37.8-40.1), birth weight 3088 g (IQR 2910-3400). Forty-nine received surgery and 6 only percutaneous catheterization. Median LUSpre score was associated with total respiratory support in the first 30 postoperative days (p = 0.034). Median postoperative LUS was significantly higher than LUSpre in the surgery cohort at all time points (p