Perri A, et al. - In this prospective diagnostic accuracy study, the researchers tested the diagnostic accuracy of a lung ultrasonography (LUS) score to early predict the need for surfactant therapy in newborns with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), as well as comparing it with a chest X-ray score. All newborns admitted for respiratory distress and initially treated with nasal CPAP were included in this analysis. The study findings suggested that LUS was a non-invasive, bedside and reproducible method that could improve the management of neonatal respiratory distress and that it was accurate and reliable to early identify subjects who will need treatment with surfactant allowing both an early treatment and a reduction of radiation exposure.