Neonatal Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasonography: Techniques and Normal Findings

Abstract

Point-of-care lung ultrasonography (POC-LUS) has become a routine bedside tool for evaluating respiratory status in many neonatal intensive care units. This article walks neonatologists through the fundamentals of its application-probe selection, system setup, and image acquisition. Lung aeration can be assessed using a 6-zone scanning approach. We review the normal sonographic appearance of the neonatal lung, including lung sliding, A-lines, and the B-lines commonly seen during transitional physiology, and describe how M-mode confirms pleural motion when sliding is equivocal. Common pitfalls in both technique and interpretation are addressed directly. In the hands of a trained neonatologist, POC-LUS brings real physiologic information to the bedside without leaving the room.