The past decades have witnessed the rapid development of lung ultrasound (LUS) as an auxiliary method for diagnosis of pulmonary disease. Compared with traditional examination methods, LUS is advantageous in non‑invasion, portability, non‑radiation, high accuracy and repeatability which facilitate its use in emergency department and intensive care unit (ICU). Also, lung injury in patients with severe damage can be diagnosed and treated in a real‑time manner. This review summarized the progress in the application of LUS score in evaluation of aeration loss, and LUS in common pulmonary diseases, such as atelectasis, pneumonia and pleural effusion. Furthermore, we proposed the application of LUS in the operation room, especially for patients with postoperative hypoxemia and those undergoing thoracic surgery.