Lung Ultrasound Findings in the Diagnosis of Transient Tachypnea of Newborn in Late Preterm and Term Neonates

Background: Transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) is a prevalent etiology of respiratory distress (RD) in neonates. The condition is a result of the accumulation of fetal lung fluid owing to defective processes responsible for its removal. However, differentiating TTN from various etiologies of RD may provide challenges. Lung ultrasound (LUS) has effectively been used to diagnose and differentiate infant RD. The objective of this research was to evaluate the ultrasonographic findings in the diagnosis of TTN in late preterm and full-term neonates.

Methods: All neonates had been exposed to full taking of history, full clinical assessment, chest X-ray, routine laboratory tests, and LUS assessment was performed on 80 late preterm and full-term neonates diagnosed with TTN by clinical and radiological findings and performed on control group.

Results: Among 80 neonates who were diagnosed to have TTN, double lung point sign (DLP) was present in 62 (77. 5 %), pleural line abnormalities had been observed in 80 (100%), alveolar interstitial syndrome (AIS) was observed in 68 (85.0%), while white lung was present only in 12 TTN cases (15%), and no pleural effusion was found in any of the patients. While these findings weren’t detected in the control group.

Conclusion: LUS could be accurately and reliably used in the diagnosis and screening of TTN. Most common findings in TTN were pleural line abnormalities followed by AIS and DLP.