Table 1.

Diagnostic accuracies of the BLUE protocol in respiratory failure

	Sensitivity (%)	Specificity (%)	Positive predictive value (%)	Negative predictive value (%)
Cardiogenic pulmonary oedema	97	95	87	99
COPD/asthma	89	97	93	95
Pulmonary embolism	81	99	94	98
Pneumothorax	88	100	100	99
Pneumonia	89	94	88	95
Overall diagnostic accuracy of the BLUE protocol in these five conditions				90.5%

Adapted from Lichtenstein and Mezière¹¹

COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease