RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Prevalence and significance of pulmonary disease on lung ultrasonography in outpatients with SARS-CoV-2 infection JF BMJ Open Respiratory Research JO BMJ Open Resp Res FD British Thoracic Society SP e000947 DO 10.1136/bmjresp-2021-000947 VO 8 IS 1 A1 Robert M Fairchild A1 Audra Horomanski A1 Diane A Mar A1 Gabriela R Triant A1 Rong Lu A1 Di Lu A1 Haiwei Henry Guo A1 Matthew C Baker YR 2021 UL http://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000947.abstract AB Background The majority of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection are diagnosed and managed as outpatients; however, little is known about the burden of pulmonary disease in this setting. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a convenient tool for detection of COVID-19 pneumonia. Identifying SARS-CoV-2 infected outpatients with pulmonary disease may be important for early risk stratification.Objectives To investigate the prevalence, natural history and clinical significance of pulmonary disease in outpatients with SARS-CoV-2.Methods SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive outpatients (CV(+)) were assessed with LUS to identify the presence of interstitial pneumonia. Studies were considered positive based on the presence of B-lines, pleural irregularity and consolidations. A subset of patients underwent longitudinal examinations. Correlations between LUS findings and patient symptoms, demographics, comorbidities and clinical outcomes over 8 weeks were evaluated.Results 102 CV(+) patients underwent LUS with 42 (41%) demonstrating pulmonary involvement. Baseline LUS severity scores correlated with shortness of breath on multivariate analysis. Of the CV(+) patients followed longitudinally, a majority showed improvement or resolution in LUS findings after 1–2 weeks. Only one patient in the CV(+) cohort was briefly hospitalised, and no patient died or required mechanical ventilation.Conclusion We found a high prevalence of LUS findings in outpatients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Given the pervasiveness of pulmonary disease across a broad spectrum of LUS severity scores and lack of adverse outcomes, our findings suggest that LUS may not be a useful as a risk stratification tool in SARS-CoV-2 in the general outpatient population.Data are available on reasonable request. All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information. Data relevant to the study are included in the article and supplementary information. Additional deidentified participant data is available on reasonable request to the corresponding author, Robert Fairchild (rfairchi@stanford.edu).