Predictive value of lung ultrasound score in weaning from mechanical ventilation in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract Background To explore the predictive value of lung ultrasound score (LUS) in weaning from mechanical ventilation in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Methods A total of 111 neonates with RDS who received mechanical ventilation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital were selected as the subjects. Before weaning, the LUS was performed by the 12-region ultrasound score of the lungs. Those neonates were divided into the weaning success group (n = 95) and weaning failure group (n = 16) according to whether they received mechanical ventilation again 48 h after weaning. Oxygenation index (OI) before weaning and arterial blood gas indexes after weaning were collected. The correlation of LUS with OI or arterial blood gas was analyzed, and the difference in LUS between the two groups was compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of LUS in predicting the weaning outcome of mechanical ventilation in neonatal RDS was drawn and its predictive value was verified. Results LUS of all neonates before weaning was significantly correlated with OI and arterial blood gas indexes, which was positively correlated with OI value (r = 0.671, p