Utilisation and clinical efficacy of echocardiography in a regional hospital.
OBJECTIVE
To determine utilisation and clinical efficacy of echocardiography in a regional setting.


METHODS
Consecutive patients referred for echocardiography studied prospectively using a pro-forma to be completed before and after echocardiography.


METHODS
Regional hospital in New South Wales.


METHODS
A total of 103 consecutive patients.


METHODS
Utilisation and clinical efficacy of echocardiography.


RESULTS
No significant abnormalities were detected in 41.7% of patients, but unexpected abnormalities were found in 31.1%. For 60% of pretest diagnoses there was a clinically important change in diagnostic certainty following the test and changes to treatment occurred in 30.1% of patients. A total of 19 patients with neurological events underwent echocardiography but none had cardiac thrombus demonstrated although thrombus was demonstrated in additional seven.


CONCLUSIONS
Echocardiography appears to be used appropriately in our regional setting, resulting in major changes to diagnostic certainty and leading to alterations to treatments in almost one-third of patients. Education in relation to the use of echocardiography in patients with neurological events is warranted.
McLean
Rick
R
Department of Medicine, Dubbo Base Hospital, Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia. rmclean@med.usyd.edu.au
Malek
Sharafat
S
Corish
John
J
Sienkiewicz
Garry
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006780:Hospitals, Rural / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging