Ultrasound Journal最新文献

{"title":"Comparison of 6 handheld ultrasound devices by point-of-care ultrasound experts: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Ariadna Perez-Sanchez, Gordon Johnson, Neysan Pucks, Riya N Soni, Terry J S Lund, Anthony J Andrade, Minh-Phuong T Le, Jessica Solis-McCarthy, Tanping Wong, Arsal Ashraf, Andre D Kumar, Gisela I Banauch, James R Verner, Amik Sodhi, Meghan K Thomas, Charles LoPresti, Hannah Schmitz, Abhilash Koratala, John Hunninghake, Erik Manninen, Carolina Candotti, Taro Minami, Benji K Mathews, Ghassan Bandak, Harald Sauthoff, Henry Mayo-Malasky, Joel Cho, Nick Villalobos, Kevin C Proud, Brandon Boesch, Federico Fenton Portillo, Kreegan Reierson, Manpreet Malik, Firas Abbas, Tim Johnson, Elizabeth K Haro, Michael J Mader, Paul Mayo, Ricardo Franco-Sadud, Nilam J Soni","doi":"10.1186/s13089-024-00392-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-024-00392-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has emerged as an essential bedside tool for clinicians, but lack of access to ultrasound equipment has been a top barrier to POCUS use. Recently, several handheld ultrasound devices (\"handhelds\") have become available, and clinicians are seeking data to guide purchasing decisions. Few comparative studies of different handhelds have been done. We conducted a cross-sectional study comparing 6 handhelds readily available in the United States (Butterfly iQ + ^™ by Butterfly Network Inc.; Clarius^™ by Clarius Mobile Health; Kosmos^™ by EchoNous; TE Air^™ by Mindray; Vscan Air^™ SL and CL by General Electric; and Lumify^™ by Philips Healthcare). A multi-specialty group of physician POCUS experts (n = 35) acquired three standard ultrasound views (abdominal right upper quadrant, cardiac apical 4-chamber, and superficial neck and lung views) in random order on the same standardized patients and rated the image quality. Afterward, a final survey of the overall ease of use, image quality, and satisfaction of each handheld was completed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty-five POCUS experts specializing in internal medicine/hospital medicine, critical care, emergency medicine, and nephrology acquired and rated right upper quadrant, apical 4-chamber, and superficial neck and lung views with 6 different handhelds. For image quality, the highest-rated handhelds were Vscan Air^™ for the right upper quadrant view, Mindray TE Air^™ for the cardiac apical 4-chamber view, and Lumify^™ for superficial views of the neck and lung. Overall satisfaction with image quality was highest with Vscan Air^™, Lumify^™, and Mindray, while overall satisfaction with ease of use was highest with Vscan Air^™. The 5 most desirable characteristics of handhelds were image quality, ease of use, portability, probe size, and battery life. Ultimately, all 6 handhelds had notable advantages and disadvantages, with no single device having all desired qualities or features.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The overall satisfaction with image quality was rated highest with Vscan Air^™, Lumify^™, and Mindray TE Air^™when acquiring right upper quadrant, apical 4-chamber, and superficial neck and lung views. No single handheld was perceived to be superior in image quality for all views. Vscan Air^™ was rated highest for overall ease of use and was the most preferred handheld for purchase by POCUS experts.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":"45"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11447175/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142362251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Student ultrasound education, current view and controversies. Role of Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and telemedicine.","authors":"Nils Daum, Michael Blaivas, Adrian Goudie, Beatrice Hoffmann, Christian Jenssen, Ricarda Neubauer, Florian Recker, Tudor Voicu Moga, Constantinos Zervides, Christoph Frank Dietrich","doi":"10.1186/s13089-024-00382-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13089-024-00382-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The digitization of medicine will play an increasingly significant role in future years. In particular, telemedicine, Virtual Reality (VR) and innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems offer tremendous potential in imaging diagnostics and are expected to shape ultrasound diagnostics and teaching significantly. However, it is crucial to consider the advantages and disadvantages of employing these new technologies and how best to teach and manage their use. This paper provides an overview of telemedicine, VR and AI in student ultrasound education, presenting current perspectives and controversies.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":"44"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11436506/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142355711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sonographic findings using the SAFE-A protocol in pre- and post-hemodialysis patients.","authors":"Matheus Rabahi, Maria Goretti Polito, Larissa Louise Cândida Pereira Takaoka, Marcus Barreto Conte, Philippe Figueiredo Braga Colares","doi":"10.1186/s13089-024-00390-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-024-00390-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Accurate assessment of relative intravascular volume is one of the cornerstones for the proper management of hospitalized patients requiring hemodialysis. Currently, the use of dynamic parameters such as bedside ultrasonography is recommended to support the assessment of the intravascular volume profile. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate findings of sonographic assessment of intravascular volume estimate (SAFE-A) protocol among hemodialysis inpatients with end-stage renal disease, before and after the hemodialysis sessions, and correlate these findings with the net ultrafiltrate (UFNET).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A positive correlation was found between the negative variation of 1 point in the score of the SAFE-A protocol with the withdrawal of 426.73 mL of net ultrafiltrate.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>There was a strong correlation between the score of the SAFE-A protocol and the net ultrafiltrate. Therefore, this study concludes that the application of the SAFE-A protocol in dialysis patients demonstrates a correlation between the suggested score and volume status, consistent with findings from the original study conducted in a distinct population.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11349959/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142074077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Utilizing a balloon sheath and miniprobe for diagnostic endoscopic ultrasound in eosinophilic esophagitis: a case series.","authors":"Simon S Rabinowitz, Rheu Candava, Blair Kady, Dalia Arostegui, Evan Grossman","doi":"10.1186/s13089-024-00380-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-024-00380-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a unique example of POCUS, which allows the gastroenterologist to discuss subepithelial pathology immediately after an endoscopy. The challenges that are encountered to create an acoustic interface by adding free water during the endoscopy may be curtailing the full utilization of EUS during endoscopic procedures. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a progressive inflammatory condition whose morbidity is related to esophageal wall remodeling. However, in clinical practice, in clinical guidelines, and in many trials, EoE outcomes are based on esophageal eosinophilia and symptoms. Hence, a method to identify and quantitate the thickening of the esophageal wall, could contribute to the management of this disease.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A modification of the approach employed to perform EUS during bronchoscopy was developed. An EUS miniprobe was positioned inside of a water filled balloon sheath. This technique permitted rapid and reproducible images acquisition of the total esophageal wall and its sublayers (mucosa, and submucosa + submucosa, which permitted derivation of the muscle layer). The presented series describes the results from  22 consecutive EoE patients. A full set of measurements from both the mid and distal esophagus were achieved in all EoE patients in an average time of less than 10 minutes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This pilot study supports further investigations evaluating this economical, convenient, and safe technique to follow EoE patients. In addition, this approach could be potentially employed in all patients who are found to have subepithelial gastrointestinal pathology during routine endoscopic procedures.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11339230/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142019005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transorbital B-mode ultrasound for the assessment of posterior globe flattening in idiopathic intracranial hypertension: a pilot study.","authors":"Theresia Knoche, Charlotte Pietrock, Konrad Neumann, Mirjam Rossel-Zemkouo, Leon Alexander Danyel","doi":"10.1186/s13089-024-00388-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-024-00388-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Posterior globe flattening (PGF) is a specific neuroimaging sign in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), but its detection is based on subjective qualitative neuroradiological assessment. This study sought to evaluate the utility of transorbital ultrasound to detect and quantify PGF in IIH patients using the Posterior Globe Angle (PGA).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Consecutive IIH patients and healthy controls were enrolled in a prospective case-control study. Transorbital ultrasound was performed to assess the presence of PGF. For quantification of PGF, an angular measurement (PGA) was performed with the vertex centering the optic nerve at a predefined distance from the lamina cribrosa and angle legs tangentially aligned to the borders of the vitreous body. PGA measurements were compared between IIH patients and healthy controls. Additionally, the diagnostic accuracy of PGA measurements in detecting PGF was evaluated using ROC analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty-one IIH patients (37.3 ± 12.3 years, 29 female) and 28 controls (33.3 ± 11.8 years, 21 female) were compared. PGF was present in 39% of IIH patients and absent in the control group. PGA_3mm measurements significantly differed between IIH and controls (116.5° ± 5.5 vs. 111.7° ± 2.9; p < 0.001). A PGA_3mm cutoff of ≥ 118.5° distinguished IIH patients from controls with 100% specificity, while retaining a sensitivity of 37.5%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Transorbital ultrasound may be applied to detect and quantify PGF in IIH patients. Prospective, multicenter studies with extended cohorts and blinded design are needed to validate these preliminary findings and confirm the diagnostic utility of transorbital ultrasound for the assessment of PGF in IIH.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":"39"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11333676/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142000826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interobserver agreement of an ED PoCUS video training dataset of normal appendix and appendicitis in children.","authors":"James W Tsung, Maytal Firnberg, Philip Sosa","doi":"10.1186/s13089-024-00386-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-024-00386-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Educational video datasets can be an effective method for training in emergency department (ED) point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS). A video dataset for normal appendix and appendicitis in children using ED PoCUS images was developed to assess interobserver agreement, as measured by Cohen's Kappa on key sonographic findings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Three sets of 25 ED PoCUS videos were selected and curated from pediatric patients with normal appendix and acute appendicitis. Four participant ED sonologist-physicians were trained on the first set of 25 videos showing normal appendix or normal bowel in patients without appendicitis to note if normal appendix was seen in any part or in it's entirety from tip-to-cecum. They were then tested on the second set of similar videos. A third set of 25 videos from patients who had appendicitis where participant sonologists were asked to note if appendicitis was present or absent, with and without appendicolith or perforation. Cohen's Kappa was calculated in aggregate and stratified by experience vs. novice against a senior sonologist-physician aware of all patient outcomes for visualization of: 1. any part of normal appendix, 2. normal appendix visualized from tip to cecum 3. any part of appendicitis, 4. appendicolith, 5. appendiceal perforation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Cohen's Kappa for any part of normal appendix, 0.71, 95% CI (0.58-0.85); normal appendix tip-to-cecum, 0.43, 95% CI (0.19-0.67), appendicitis, 0.53, 95%CI (0.34-0.70), appendicolith, 0.63, 95%CI (0.43-0.84), perforated appendicitis, 0.46, 95%CI (0.22-0.70). Stratified by experienced vs. novice: any part of normal appendix, 0.75 vs. 0.68; normal appendix tip-to-cecum, 0.50 vs. 0.36; appendicitis, 0.78 vs. 0.31; appendicolith, 0.75 vs. 0.5; perforated appendicitis, 0.5 vs 0.42.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This educational video dataset may be used to train sonologist-physicians in ED PoCUS scanning for normal appendix and appendicitis in children. Sonologist experience affected interobserver agreement with respect to visualization of entire normal appendix and appendicitis.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":"38"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11303676/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141894524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) diagnostics: gleaning insights from point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) techniques in emergencies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Hany A Zaki, Bilal Albaroudi, Eman E Shaban, Mohamed Elgassim, Nood Dhafi Almarri, Kaleem Basharat, Ahmed Shaban","doi":"10.1186/s13089-024-00378-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-024-00378-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The assessment of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is clinically difficult diagnosis. The \"gold standard test\" for DVT diagnosis is venography; however, various point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) protocols have been suggested for DVT evaluation in the emergency department.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>This review evaluated the role of different POCUS protocols in diagnosing DVT in the emergency department.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted based of PRISMA guideline and registered on PROSEPRO (CRD42023398871). An electronic database search in Embase, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google scholar and a manual search were performed to identify eligible studies till February 2023. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool (QUADAS-2) was used to assess the risk of bias in included studies. Quantitative analysis was carried out using STATA 16 and Review Manager software (RevMan 5.4.1). Sensitivity, specificity of POCUS protocols for DVT diagnosis compared to reference standard test was calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Heterogeneity was identified between 26 included studies for review. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for the 2-point POCUS protocol were 92.32% (95% CI: 87.58-97.06), 96.86% (95% CI: 95.09-98.64), 88.41% (95% CI: 82.24-94.58) and 97.25% (95% CI: 95.51-98.99), respectively. Similarly, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for 3-point POCUS were 89.15% (95% CI: 83.24-95.07), 92.71% (95% CI: 89.59-95.83), 81.27% (95% CI: 73.79-88.75), and 95.47% (95% CI: 92.93-98). The data pooled for complete compression ultrasound, and whole-leg duplex ultrasound also resulted in a sensitivity and specificity of 100% (95% CI: 98.21-100) and 97.05% (95% CI: 92.25-100), respectively. On the other hand, the time from triage to DVT diagnosis was significantly shorter for emergency physician-performed POCUS than diagnostic tests performed by radiologists.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The diagnostic performance of POCUS protocols performed by emergency physicians was excellent. Combined with the significant reduction in time to diagnosis. POCUS can be used as the first-line imaging tool for DVT diagnosis in the emergency department. We also recommended that attending emergency physicians with POCUS training are present during DVT diagnosis to improve diagnostic performance even though high diagnostic performance is observed even with the minimum training.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":"37"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11289207/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141856646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Applicability of combined high-frequency and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in finger extensor tendon injuries: three case reports.","authors":"Wenying Wang, Li Peng, Lian He, Yan Chen, Mingshan Jiang, Xue Luo, Guoqiang Gao","doi":"10.1186/s13089-024-00376-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-024-00376-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>By combining high-frequency and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), the position of the severed end of a finger extensor tendon injury and the injury classification can be determined as part of a comprehensive preoperative evaluation in clinical practice. However, there have been no reports of high-frequency ultrasound combined with CEUS for the preoperative diagnosis of human finger extensor tendon injury.</p><p><strong>Cases presentation: </strong>One case of complete rupture of the extensor tendon was diagnosed by ultrasound, which was completely consistent with the surgery; one case of incomplete rupture was ultimately confirmed clinically; and one case of distal phalangeal bone base avulsion fracture with tendon contusion and missed diagnosis on the first radiographic examination was confirmed by follow-up radiographic examination.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Different types of finger extensor tendon injuries exhibit distinctive contrast-enhanced ultrasonography findings. Combined high-frequency and contrast-enhanced ultrasound can accurately locate the position of the severed end of the finger extensor tendon injury before surgery while observing the contrast agent filling area to clarify injury classification, providing a reliable imaging basis for clinical practice and ultimately developing personalized diagnosis and treatment plans for patients to ensure minimal trauma and pain, as well as optimal treatment effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11254872/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141627958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of upper airway ultrasonography in tracheal necrosis diagnosis: a case report.","authors":"Mas Fazlin Mohd Jailaini, Mohd Jazman Che Rahim, Wan Aireene Wan Ahmed, Shaik Farid Abdull Wahab, Mohamed Faisal Abdul Hamid, Fahrin Zara Mohammad Nasseri","doi":"10.1186/s13089-024-00385-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-024-00385-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Tracheal necrosis post endotracheal intubation is a rare life-threatening disease that can compromise airway patency. We demonstrated a novel usage of upper airway ultrasonography (USG) to diagnose tracheal necrosis.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>A middle-aged smoking male presented with productive cough, noisy breathing and exertional dyspnea for 2 weeks. He was intubated one month prior due to a traumatic brain injury. Upper airway USG findings showed irregular air-mucosal interface (AMI) and comet tail artefacts over the 1st and 2nd tracheal ring. A direct laryngoscopy in the operating room showed thick mucopus inferior to the vocal cords, with necrotic tracheal cartilages and debris obstructing the airway. He was successfully treated with parenteral antibiotics, wound debridement and tracheostomy.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our case highlights the first documented USG findings of tracheal necrosis. Upper airway USG serves as a potential diagnostic modality in managing the condition.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":"35"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11245455/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141591637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Facilitators, barriers, and changes in POCUS use: longitudinal follow-up after participation in a national point-of-care ultrasound training course in Japan.","authors":"Toru Yamada, Nilam J Soni, Taro Minami, Yuka Kitano, Shumpei Yoshino, Suguru Mabuchi, Masayoshi Hashimoto","doi":"10.1186/s13089-024-00384-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-024-00384-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>POCUS training courses are effective at improving knowledge and skills, but few studies have followed learners longitudinally post-course to understand facilitators, barriers, and changes in POCUS use in clinical practice. We conducted a prospective observational study of physicians who attended 11 standardized POCUS training courses between 2017 and 2019 in Japan. Physicians who attended a standardized POCUS course were surveyed about their current frequency of POCUS use of the heart, lung, abdomen, and lower extremity veins, and perceived barriers and facilitators to POCUS use in clinical practice.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data were analyzed from 112 completed surveys (response rate = 20%). A majority of responding physicians were faculty (77%) in internal medicine (69%) affiliated with community hospitals (55%). The mean delay between course attendance and survey response was 50.3 months. A significant increase in POCUS use from < 1 to ≥ 1 time per week was seen for all organ systems after 50 months post-course (p < 0.01). Approximately half of course participants reported an increase in the frequency of cardiac (61%), lung (53%), vascular (44%), and abdominal (50%) ultrasound use. General facilitators of POCUS use were easy access to ultrasound machines (63%), having a colleague with whom to learn POCUS (47%), and adequate departmental support (46%). General barriers included lack of opportunities for POCUS training (47%), poor access to ultrasound machines (38%), and limited time for POCUS training (33%). In the group with increased POCUS usage, specific facilitators reported were enhanced POCUS knowledge, improved image acquisition skills, and greater self-confidence in performing POCUS. Conversely, the group without increased POCUS usage reported lack of supervising physicians, low confidence, and insufficient training opportunities as specific barriers.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Approximately half of physicians reported an increase in cardiac, lung, vascular, and abdominal POCUS use > 4 years after attending a POCUS training course. In addition to improving access to ultrasound machines and training opportunities, a supportive local clinical environment, including colleagues to share experiences in learning POCUS and local experts to supervise scanning, is important to foster ongoing POCUS practice and implementation into clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":"34"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11231124/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141555584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}