CHEst PHysical Examination integrated with UltraSound – Phase (CHEPHEUS1). A survey of Accademia di Ecografia Toracica (AdET)

Dejan Radovanovic; Alessandro  Zanforlin; Andrea Smargiassi; Sara Cinquini; Riccardo Inchingolo; Francesco Tursi; Gino Soldati; Paolo Carlucci

doi:10.5826/mrm.2025.1020

CHEst PHysical Examination integrated with UltraSound – Phase (CHEPHEUS1). A survey of Accademia di Ecografia Toracica (AdET)

Authors

Dejan Radovanovic Division of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milano, Italy; Coordinated Research Center on Respiratory Failure, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milano, Italy. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9013-3418
Alessandro Zanforlin Service of Pulmonology, Health District of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), Bolzano-Bozen, Italy, Lehrkrankenhaus der Paracelsus Medizinischen Privatuniversität https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3306-7530
Andrea Smargiassi UOC Pneumologia, Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168, Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0637-7282
Sara Cinquini Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pulmonary Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa
Riccardo Inchingolo UOC Pneumologia, Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168, Rome https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2843-9966
Francesco Tursi Cardiorespiratory Rehabilitation Unit, Codogno Hospital, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Lodi, Codogno
Gino Soldati Ippocrate Medical Center, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Lucca
Paolo Carlucci Respiratory Unit, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, San Paolo Hospital, Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9709-9577

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5826/mrm.2025.1020

Keywords:

Chest ultrasound, Early diagnosis, Diagnostic approach

Abstract

Background: Chest physical exam (CPE) is based on the four pillars of classical semiotics. However, CPE’s sensitivity and specificity are low, and is affected by operators’ skills. The aim of this work was to explore the contribution of chest ultrasound (US) to the traditional CPE.
Methods: For this purpose, a survey was submitted to US users. They were asked to rate the usefulness of classical semiotics and chest US in evaluating each item of CPE pillars. The study was conducted and described according to the STROBE checklist. The study used the freely available online survey cloud-web application (Google Forms, Google Ireland Ltd, Mountain View, CA, USA).
Results: The results showed a tendency to prefer chest US to palpation and percussion, suggesting a possible future approach based on inspection, auscultation and palpatory ultrasound evaluation.
Conclusion: The results of our survey introduce, for the first time, the role of ultrasound as a pillar of physical examination. Our project CHEPHEUS has the aim to study and propose a new way of performing the physical exam in the future.

Author Biography

Dejan Radovanovic, Division of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milano, Italy; Coordinated Research Center on Respiratory Failure, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milano, Italy.

Associate Professor in Respiratory Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano

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