Unsuspected clinically important findings detected with a small portable ultrasound device in patients admitted to a general medicine service.
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.
Fedson
Savitri
S
University of Chicago, USA.
Neithardt
Gregg
G
Thomas
Patrick
P
Lickerman
Alex
A
Radzienda
Michael
M
DeCara
Jeanne M
JM
Lang
Roberto M
RM
Spencer
Kirk T
KT
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