Pleural lung sliding quantification using a speckle tracking technology: A feasibility study on 30 healthy volunteers

Area of Science:

• Medical Ultrasound
• Pulmonology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Speckle tracking technology analyzes acoustic markers to quantify lung sliding and detect its absence in pneumothorax.
• Lung sliding assessment is crucial for diagnosing conditions like pneumothorax using ultrasound.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the capability of speckle tracking technology to quantify lung sliding via a pleural strain (PS) value.
• To assess the feasibility, reliability, and correlation of PS measurements with physiological parameters.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 30 healthy volunteers under seven different breathing conditions.
• Ultrasound loops analyzed by two observers in four lung regions to measure PS.
• Feasibility, intra-observer, and inter-observer reliability were assessed.

Main Results:

• Feasibility of PS measurement was 90.8%.
• Excellent intra-observer (ICC: 0.96/0.93) and inter-observer (ICC: 0.89) reliability was achieved.
• Lower PS values were observed in anterior compared to posterior lung areas; a weak positive correlation with tidal volume was noted under PEEP.

Conclusions:

• Speckle tracking for lung sliding quantification using PS is feasible and highly reliable in healthy volunteers across various breathing conditions.
• Further research is needed to validate PS in patients under invasive mechanical ventilation and its correlation with tidal volumes.