title: Unsuspected clinically important findings detected with a small portable ultrasound device in patients admitted to a general medicine service.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine whether physicians with training in echocardiography could successfully use a small echocardiographic device to detect occult cardiovascular disease in patients admitted to a general medical service.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 103 consecutive patients had a physician-performed bedside echocardiographic examination with a small portable ultrasound device.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of patients, 70% did not have a clinical indication for echocardiography and of these patients, 39% had an abnormal study with the portable ultrasound device. There was a high rate of false-positive examinations, but approximately 17% of patients without a clinical indication for echocardiography had an important cardiac abnormality detected, including 10% with unsuspected left ventricular systolic dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many patients on a general medical hospital ward have unsuspected, clinically important cardiac findings such as left ventricular dysfunction that can be screened for by physicians with training in echocardiography using small portable ultrasound devices.
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago, USA.
authors.forename: Savitri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fedson
authors.forename: Gregg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Neithardt
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lickerman
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radzienda
authors.forename: Jeanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: DeCara
authors.forename: Roberto M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Kirk T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D002641:Chicago; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards; D004867:Equipment Design; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D010343:Patient Admission; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index