Is a 4 days transoesophageal training course sufficient to diagnose shock related pathologies?
BACKGROUND
Echocardiography is a useful tool in patients suffering from shock of unknown origin to evaluate cardiac function and volume status in order to decide on further treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate how well participants could identify function, preload and regional wall motion abnormalities after attending a 4-day transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) seminar.


METHODS
In this prospective educational trial, participants of six TOE seminars from 2005 to 2006 were evaluated. On the basis of seven echocardiographic studies, evaluations by participants concerning cardiac function, preload and regional wall motion were analyzed. Moreover, specific causes of undifferentiated hypotension were to be judged in three cases by the participants.


RESULTS
A total of 115 participants of the TOE seminars from 2005 to 2006 were evaluated. Correct sectional plane was recognized by more than 76% of the participants. Left ventricular function, preload, and regional wall abnormalities were assessed correctly by the participants in 98%, 96%, and 84%, respectively. Moreover, more than 70% of the participants recognized the correct cause of hemodynamic instability.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the investigation show that participants of a 4-day TOE seminar can interpret left ventricular function, preload and regional wall motion abnormalities correctly at a very high rate. TOE seminars seem to be effective in teaching basic theoretical knowledge of TOE.
Bernhard
Michael
M
Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Busch
Cornelius J
CJ
Hainer
Christian
C
Wente
Moritz N
MN
Scheuren
Karoline
K
Rauch
Helmut
H
Martin
Eike
E
Weigand
Markus A
MA
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000379:methods*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012769:Shock / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult