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Advantages and drawbacks of computed tomography chest scan, lung ultrasound and chest X-ray
| CT scan | CXR | LUS | |
| Availability | |||
| ambulatory setting | − | + | ++ |
| emergency department | + | ++ | ++ |
| Irradiation | ++ | + | − |
| Sensitivitya | ++ | + | +(+) |
| Specificitya | ++ | − | +(+) |
| Identification of other diagnosis | +++ | + | ++ |
| Not affected by patient's conditions (bedridden; acute confusion) | ++ | − | + |
CT, computed tomography chest scan; CXR, chest X-ray; LUS, lung ultrasound.
aFor the diagnosis of pneumonia.
