Abstract: The efficacy of lung ultrasound (LUS) combined with serum procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children is analyzed in this study. 176 children with CAP from February 2017 to November 2019 were selected and examined by chest CT, as well as the serum PCT and CRP. The results of the chest CT were the diagnostic criteria, the children were divided into CAP group (102 cases) and N-CAP group (74 cases). The LUS characteristics and the levels of serum PCT, CRP were compared. The diagnostic efficacy of LUS combined with PCT and CRP was analyzed by ROC curve. The results showed that, the pulmonary interstitial syndrome, pulmonary consolidation, abnormal pleura line, bronchus syndrome, pleural effusion and the levels of serum PCT, CRP of CAP group were higher than those of the N-CAP group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The AUC, sensitivity and specificity of LUS combined with PCT and CRP in the diagnosis of CAP in children were higher than those of the single examination (P<0.05). Therefore, LUS combined with PCT and CRP can improve the diagnostic efficacy of CAP in children.

Key words: children, community acquired pneumonia, lung ultrasound, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, diagnostic efficacy