Feasibility of focused cardiac ultrasound training for non-cardiologists in a resource-limited setting using a handheld ultrasound machine.
Cardiovasc J Afr
; 33: 1-5, 2022 Dec 14.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36594848
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Heart disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Access to diagnostic modalities is limited in these settings. Limited echocardiographic studies performed by non-cardiologists can increase access, improve diagnosis and allow for earlier medical therapy.METHODS:
Two internal medicine residents at a tertiary-level hospital in Ghana were trained to perform limited echocardiographic studies. Each trainee performed 50 echocardiograms and interpreted 20 studies across three predetermined timepoints. Interpretation was compared to expert interpretation.RESULTS:
Agreement improved over time. At the final evaluation, there was high agreement across all aspects left ventricular structure (70%, kappa 0.52, p = 0.01), left ventricular function (80%, kappa 0.65, p = 0.004), right ventricular structure (90%, kappa 0.71, p = 0.002), right ventricular function (100%, kappa 1.00, p < 0.001), and presence of effusion (100%, kappa 1.00, p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS:
Non-cardiologists can be trained in focused echocardiography using handheld machines. Such training can increase access to diagnostic capabilities in resource-limited settings.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article