Table 2.
Physical examination and bedside ultrasound findings in 34 patients
| All lungs (N = 68 lungs) | Lungs with pleural effusion (N = 50 lungs) | Lungs with no pleural effusion (N = 18 lungs) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical examination findings | ||||
| Decreased tactile fremitus—No. (%) | 37 (54) | 34 (68) | 3 (17) | 0.0002 |
| Crackles—No (%) | 30 (44) | 23 (46) | 7 (39) | 0.78 |
| Bronchial breath sounds—No. (%) | 53 (78) | 39 (78) | 14 (78) | 1.00 |
| Dullness to percussion—No. (%) | 62 (91) | 47 (94) | 15 (83) | 0.33 |
| Asymmetric chest wall expansion—No. (%) | 10 (15) | 9 (18) | 1 (6) | 0.27 |
| Egophony—No. (%) | 21 (31) | 19 (38) | 2 (11) | 0.04 |
| PE diagnosis—No. (%) | ||||
| Normal/diaphragm | 41 (60) | 25 (50) | 16 (89) | 0.005 |
| Pleural effusion | 24 (35) | 22 (44) | 2 (11) | 0.02 |
| Other (consolidation/atelectasis) | 10 (15) | 8 (16) | 2 (11) | 1.00 |
| Median level of confidence (interquartile range) out of 5 | 3 (2–4) | 3 (1–4) | 3.5 (2–4) | 0.04 |
| Not at all confident—No. (%) | 14 (21) | 13 (26) | 1 (6) | 0.09 |
| Somewhat not confident—No. (%) | 14 (21) | 10 (20) | 4 (22) | |
| Neutral—No. (%) | 16 (24) | 12 (24) | 4 (22) | |
| Somewhat confident—No. (%) | 22 (32) | 15 (30) | 7 (39) | |
| Very confident—No. (%) | 2 (3) | 0 | 2 (11) | |
| Bedside ultrasound (US) findings | ||||
| Seated, posterior US exam | ||||
| Ultrasound diagnosis as pleural effusion | 47 (69%) | 46 (92) | 1 (6) | < 0.0001 |
| Median level of confidence of seated, posterior US exam (interquartile range) out of 5 | 5 (4–5) | 5 (5–5) | 5 (4–5) | 0.10 |
| Not at all confident—No. (%) | 5 (7) | 4 (8) | 1 (6) | 0.15 |
| Somewhat not confident—No. (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Neutral—No. (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Somewhat confident—No. (%) | 10 (15) | 5 (1) | 5 (28) | |
| Very confident—No. (%) | 48 (71) | 38 (76) | 10 (56) | |
| Missing responses | 5 (7) | 3 (6) | 2 (11) | |
| Supine, coronal view US exam | ||||
| Ultrasound diagnosis as pleural effusion (positive spine sign) | 50 (74%) | 49 (98) | 1 (6) | < 0.0001 |
| Median level of confidence of supine US exam (interquartile range) out of 5 | 5 (5–5) | 5 (5–5) | 5 (4–5) | 0.09 |
| Not at all confident—No. (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.12 |
| Somewhat not confident—No. (%) | 1 (1) | 0 | 1 (6) | |
| Neutral—No. (%) | 1 (1) | 1 (2) | 0 | |
| Somewhat confident—No. (%) | 11 (17) | 6 (12) | 5 (28) | |
| Very confident—No. (%) | 53 (78) | 41 (82) | 12 (67) | |
| Missing responses—No. (%) | 2 (3) | 2 (4) | 0 | |
Findings are presented in terms of the individual count of lungs included in the study (N = 68 lungs from 34 patients)