Study design and population
This national multicenterprospective study was conducted between 15st
November 2020 and 30st June 2021 in 8italian hospitals (Bambino
GesùChildren Hospital of Rome, A. Gemelli University Polyclinic
Foundation of Rome, Santobono-Pausilipon Children’s Hospital of Naples,
Sant’Orsola Hospital of Bologna, San Jacopo Hospital of Pistoia,Salesi
Children’s Hospital of Ancona,San Marco Hospital of Catania,City of
Health and Science of Turin). After the initial approval by theethics
committee of the Bambino Gesù Children Hospital (2293_OPBG_2020), all
participating sites obtained approval from their local ethics
committee.Written informed consent to participate in this study was
provided by the children’ legal guardian/next of kin.
We included children with more than 1 month and less than 18 years,
withdiagnosis of SARS-CoV2 infection made using molecular o antigenic
tests on a nasopharyngeal swab. In all enrolled patients a lung
ultrasound was performedwithin 6 hours from the initial medical
evaluation. Were excluded patients outside our age range, who refused to
participate, severe conditions requiring immediate life-saving
procedures, cardiac abnormalities, previous major thoracic surgery,
congenital pulmonary malformations, serious malformations of the rib
cage, cystic fibrosis, neuromuscular diseases or bronchopulmonary
dysplasia.