title: [Usefulness of hand-held echocardiography in emergency room].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Handheld echocardiography may be a powerful diagnostic tool in the emergency room. However, its usefulness in this environment when it is performed by medical personnel with a basic training in echocardiography remains to be clarified.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cardiologist with expertise in echocardiography and a cardiology fellow with basic training evaluated 33 patients admitted in emergency using a handheld device.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The echocardiogram led to a change in the diagnosis and treatment in 27% and 46% of patients, respectively, allowing an early discharge in 49% of cases. The agreement between the two observers was acceptable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Portable echocardiography is a useful tool in emergency rooms and may be reliably performed by medical personnel with basic training in echocardiography.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología. Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Barcelona. España. rleta@hsp.santpau.es
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leta
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Borrás
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Planas
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pujadas
authors.forename: Guillem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pons-Lladó
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004452:Echocardiography; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results