Predictive value of bedside lung ultrasound, quantitative chest CT, and frailty assessment for short-term outcomes in elderly patients with severe pneumonia: a pilot study

Simultaneous acquisition of LUS, quantitative CT, and frailty metrics is feasible, safe, and well tolerated in elderly patients with severe CAP. Preliminary evidence suggests that integrating imaging severity with physiological frailty enhances short-term risk stratification beyond established clinical scores. These findings merit confirmation in larger, multicenter cohorts.